The Cat and The Bee
by BebopSamurai
Summary: Life, like adolescence, is full of the unexpected. AU YoruSoi. COMPLETED. Epilogue: Four years later...
1. Rukongai High School

The Cat and The Bee 

I do not own Bleach or its characters.

Chapter 1: Rukongai High School

Soi Fong groaned under the covers as her bedside alarm began screeching at her, urging her to get up. She grudgingly reached out, groping at the air until she made contact with the clamorous device, then tapped the 'snooze' button with her palm, silencing it instantly. The girl sighed in relief as she shut her eyes, eager to get a few more minutes sleep, but...

"Soi! Did I hear your alarm go off?" As if to taunt the sleepy teen, her father's voice drifted through her open bedroom door from downstairs. She groaned as she lazily decided that she had to answer.

"...Yes, Dad..."

"Oh, okay. Well, hurry up and come get some breakfast before you have to go." Soi Fong reluctantly shook off the covers to be hit almost instantly by the cold air filling the room. She hugged herself in an effort to keep from freezing, curling into a little ball on the mattress to try and hold onto her warm bed for a while longer.

Come on, Soi Fong, she told herself through chattering teeth. Just gotta get up and get dressed... Before she could regret her decision to greet the day, the girl lept out of bed and ran to her chest of drawers, hastily grabbing her longsleeved white uniform shirt and black knee-length skirt. She glared disdainfully at the rather flimsy piece of attire.

_Jeez...why do they have to make us wear these? I'd give anything to be allowed to wear actual pants on a day like today..._

In reality, the late summer day was supposed to get warmer later on, but all Soi Fong knew was that she would be cold until about noon. It didn't help that she was such a petite girl, she thought with a bit of a sigh as she glanced in the small mirror on her wall. She was only at about average height for her age, and just about every other aspect of her anatomy was compact and slender, giving her a rather cute but unremarkable appearance. Not that she cared too much about things like that, but it was times like this she wished she had a little more meat on her bones. After changing quickly, she felt a little warmer than she had in her long sleepshirt, but the draft through her jammed window still chilled her to the core. Ignoring her discomfort, she walked through the open doorway to the worn and neglected stairwell, remembering to skip the termite-infested fifth step on her way down.

* * *

"Ahh, there's my little girl!" her father said with a smile as Soi Fong walked into the tiny kitchen. It was nearly as cold in here as it was upstairs, but she had learned to ignore the little discomforts of this house--it was all her father could afford and she was grateful for what she was fortunate enough to have. 

"Hi, Dad," she returned his greeting sweetly as she walked over to the pantry and grabbed a box half-full of corn flakes, then absentmindedly reached up to the nearest cabinet and pulled out a chipped ceramic bowl. Her father was enjoying the last few years of his thirties, his face still retaining a youthful exuberance that belied the wrinkles growing on his forehead and below his eyelids. Once Soi Fong had sat down with her bowl of cereal and a glass of milk, he prepared himself the same, being careful not to take too much of the opaque drink so as to stretch out its use.

"So, are you looking forward to school today?" he asked despite knowing the answer already. Sure enough, Soi Fong snorted over her cereal, turning around to give him an almost catlike glare. He chuckled at her nonverbal display of annoyance at the thought of the place, having gotten this reaction many times before. "Oh, come on, I'm sure it's not that ba--"

"It is," she said perfectly deadpan, thinking about the annoying upperclassmen who had made her life a living hell from the moment she had set foot on campus a few weeks ago. She had not voiced these happenings to her father, however--it would just be something more for him to worry about.

"Hmm. Well, at least you've made some friends by now, right?" Soi Fong nodded, but she had turned her face away from him, as if he would be able to tell that she was lying just by sight alone. "Well, don't worry about it, Soi-- you're a nice girl, you just need to open up a little more."

"...Sure, Dad," she agreed while rolling her eyes, having heard this so many times that she had stopped believing it around the beginning of junior high. She quickly finished up her cold cereal and milk, then rinsed the bowl and cup out in the sink before letting them dry on a nearby dishtowel. "I've gotta go, bye!" she called as she ran out of the kitchen and to the front door, slipping on her shoes and grabbing her bookbag on the way.

"Have a good day!" her father called from the kitchen as he glanced at his watch, and seeing what time it was, ate the remainder of his breakfast and headed to his bedroom to grab his suitcoat for work.

* * *

Soi Fong stepped out into the brisk morning air, instantly regretting that she hadn't grabbed a coat beforehand. 

_Oh well,_ she thought with a sigh. _If I hurry, I'll be all right._

She walked down the rickety wooden steps of her front porch and into the street, away from the cramped but somewhat comfortable place she called her home, taking a left once she reached the sidewalk. After about thirty minutes walking in the slowly thawing weather, she finally reached the grounds of Rukongai High School.

To be honest, Soi Fong was glad to be going to school here, despite the distance from her home. It was one of the hardest in her district to get into, but after three years of dedication and study her hard work had paid off. She had initially been reluctant come to Rukongai, but when she'd learned that they had a very strong literature program, she'd taken to it instantly. Reading was one of the few passions that Soi Fong had, and she had indulged it to the point where she had grown antisocial in the eyes of her peers. She didn't mind not having friends, though-- she wouldn't know how to behave around them anyway.

As she walked gratefully into the much warmer halls of the building, she saw a familiar face standing not far from where her locker was stationed. She groaned at the sight of that short grayish hair and devilish grin, but surrendered to the fact that there was no other option but to approach him. She tried to keep herself calm and apathetic as she neared the tall boy leaning against the row of metal containers. Too soon, however, he noticed her and spoke.

"Well, well--lookit whose it is. Heya there, shorty." Soi Fong narrowed her eyes as she looked past him and walked up to her locker. "...Now, that ain't too nicelike, little miss Fong... won't even say 'hello' when someun says it to ya first?" He had leaned closer, his wicked smirk making his presence all the more disturbing. The Chinese girl sighed and responded, but kept her eyes on the contents of her storage space.

"...Hello, Ichimaru," she said as icily as she could. Ichimaru didn't flinch in the slightest as Soi Fong's weak attempt at intimidation, however.

"There...that wadn't so hard, eh?" He said casually as he leaned closer.

"...What do you want, Gin?"

"Nothin'," he shrugged his shoulder in an unconvincing display of innocence. "...Just wonderin' if you did that assignmen' for third period, is all."

"I'm not giving you anything," Soi Fong said determinedly, forgetting that she was over a foot shorter than the lanky teen hovering imposingly over her. "If you want better grades, then maybe you should do it yourself."

"Ooh... someone's forgettin' the natural order o' things, ain't they?" Ichimaru taunted, still not giving her any more personal space then the few inches he was currently permitting. "Don't get all high an' mighty just 'cause you're smart. But, if you really were smart, then ya'd know better than ta just up an' refuse my reasonabl' requests like ya' been doin'." Soi Fong only continued to glare at him, refusing to let such a petty bully get to her. She'd dealt with his type before and they were all the same-- all they knew was how to flex their muscles to intimidate 'weaker' people who had something they could use-- in her case, academic ability.

"I don't care what you 'request,' I'm still not going to help an idiot like you cheat."

_...Oh, damn..._ she clapped her hand over her mouth on reflex when she saw Ichimaru's grin actually falter. She knew he was angry at her now. His full wrath she'd been able to avoid so far simply by controlling the urge to cross the line with what she said to him. He didn't mind what you said, just as long as you don't insult him-- that much was clear about Gin.

"Oh, I get it..." the boy said solemnly as he stared at her through his narrowed eyelids, "...so that's how it is, eh? Ya think I'm dumb, eh?" Soi Fong wanted to beg for forgiveness, but she knew it was too late to turn back, so she simply closed her gaping mouth and met his gaze (which she honestly couldn't read from his perpetually shut eyes) full-on. "... Geez, I'm nice to ya' all this time an' all ya ever do is give me crap. Well, I've gotta pay you back fer that, don't I?" In spite of herself, Soi Fong let out a gulp, knowing that now he was actually going to do something to her. "...But not right now, eh?" He said as he leaned away from her, replacing his sneer as he turned around to walk away. "...See ya after school, kid." With that, Ichimaru headed down the hall to his first hour class.

Soi Fong's mind started racing. What would she do about this? She'd always been so careful at never provoking her antagonists, resisting but never instigating, and now she'd just gotten herself singled out by the biggest jackass she'd ever met.

_Well, I guess there's not much I can do now,_ she thought with a sigh as she grabbed her books for class and shut the locker with a bang. _Just deal with it when it comes._

After all, despite the fact that she was of above-average intelligence, she was essentially a nobody. Gin would 'put her in her place,' and then she could go back to her comfortable anonymity. It was, as he had said, "the natural order of things," and Soi Fong had no intention of stepping beyond that.

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter in a series. I don't know how long it'll be, though. I know it was slow, but I'm planning to introduce Yoruichi next chapter. I hope that my fellow YoruSoi fans enjoy this fic!


	2. The Cat Arrives

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 2: The Cat Arrives

Soi Fong stared at her open book, absorbing the words with a zeal that she didn't spare for the sandwich in her hand. Never taking her eyes off the text, she bit into the bread, chewing it slowly so as to have as few distractions as possible, especially since the story had reached a very interesting point. When she finally forced herself to look up and take a drink of juice, her eyes happened to fall upon Ichimaru, sneering at her as he made his way over to his friend Kira and his unlikely girlfriend Rangiku. She didn't see any of his other flunkies, but then they were in different classes and Ichimaru thought it better to avoid being grouped together to evade suspicion. In spite of the calm facade she wore, Soi was getting more worried with every inch the minute hand on the clock moved to the right. She tried to concentrate on reading again, but that disturbing smirk kept worming its way back into her mind.

_...Should I run away?_

She shook her head as soon as the thought occured to her.

_No. I'm not afraid of a guy like him. Dad taught me better than that._

Noticing that the lunch hour had practically disappeared, Soi wolfed down the remains of her meal and dashed to her homeroom before the bell for next period sounded.

* * *

"...You shouldn't wear that hat, you know."

A sandy-haired teen (technically a legal adult, at age 19) only smirked at the observation made by his companion, a dark-skinned girl who was a year his junior and yet nearly rivaled him in the height department.

"Oh, and why's that?"

"...Because it makes you look like some sort of criminal," the girl answered with a mischevious grin as she took a bite of her still-warm taiyaki, small flakes of baked bread crumbling off onto the ground as she tore off a chunk and chewed on it. "You're already a delinquent, isn't that bad enough?"

"Well..." the boy hummed contemplatively as he adjusted the green-and-white striped hat on his head that had began the whole conversation, "I don't see why that should matter if I'm already being labeled as a delinquent. And speaking of labels, doesn't that make you YOURSELF a delinquent for being seen in my company?"

"No," the girl said as she absentmindedly pulled back a few loose strands of dark hair that had liberated themselves from her long ponytail with the aid of the slight breeze. "...It makes me the victim, for you forcing your presence on me."

"That's too cruel," the boy sighed as he put on an expression of feigned indignation. The girl only chuckled to herself at the eccentric behavior she'd come to expect after 12 years of friendship with this young man.

"You really are hopeless, you know that?" she asked as she swallowed another bite of her pastry. Her friend opened his mouth to retort when he noticed that she had come to a stop about 3 strides back.

"Hmm? What's going on?" he muttered as he walked up to where his female companion stood overlooking a small manmade ravine that lay not too far from the high school. It wasn't very easy to tell from here, but it looked like there were a bunch of kids in their class, and they were surrounding a much shorter kid... "Oh well. Best to just forget about it. They do this all the time anyway." The tall girl nodded admissively and was about to continue walking when the kid in the middle fell to the ground and she could see a glimpse of his face. Or rather, hers.

"That's a girl down there..." the cocoa-skinned upperclassman said with growing realization. Before the sandy-haired fellow at her side could say anything, she had shoved the remains of her pastry into his hand and had hoisted herself over the concrete guardrail.

* * *

A small groan escaped Soi Fong's lips as she felt a man's hand at her collar and she looked up to see it was Kira's. She narrowed her eyes rebelliously at him and was slightly surprised to find that he had a repentant look on his face. He hadn't thrown the blow, and he hated the idea of fighting a girl, but his loyalty to Ichimaru overrode the pang of guilt that made him want to protest what his 'boss' was doing.

"Well, well...I guess ya ain't some whiny littl' brat after all, eh?" Soi turned her dark eyes in the direction of the boy towering over her, one of his silver eyebrows cocked in amusement. "...An' here I figur'd ya'd be cryin' like a baby..." Soi only let her glare rest on him, as if doing so would render her antagonist to naught but dust. Unfortunately, Ichimaru was nowhere close to disappearing. "Now, I bet that hurt, did't it?"

The Chinese girl had wanted to laugh at that. Gin hadn't even had the courage to beat her up himself; he'd employed a handful of his faceless goons to do it for him. They'd only hit her a few times, but they were strong-- any other girl would have been in tears by now, but the most noise Soi Fong had made was the occasional huff of air being knocked out of her lungs.

"...Ya know, this'd prob'ly be over a lil' bit quicker if ya'd swallow that pride o' yours and jus' apologize." His ultimatum was met with, to his annoyance, only more of the girl's insufferable silence.

"Oh, I get it...not answerin' me, huh?"

Soi Fong said nothing. Still grinning, Gin backhanded her across the face, leaving a red mark on her cheek but not eliciting any verbal response. She knew that he was probably just going to keep hitting her, but that didn't matter. She'd take it--not because she didn't know how to defend herself, but because she refused to let him think for even a minute that he could control her, force her to bend to his will through violence.

_He wants tears. He won't get them._

Gin pulled his hand back and was about to strike again when dark, slender fingers grabbed his wrist.

"...Picking on underclassmen again, Ichimaru?" His grin slipped at the sound of an all-too familiar voice, and before he could turn around to acknowledge the hand's owner his face was promptly met with a right hook. His fellow hoodlums blinked collectively when they saw the face of the one who'd been bold enough to hit their beloved chieftain.

Soi Fong raised her head to see a girl that was a bit taller than her, wearing the same uniform as she. Her coffee-toned body was accentuated by dark hair, which hung behind her in a long ponytail. She was athletic-looking and was obviously quite strong, but her slender form didn't betray her physical prowess. But the most bizarre aspect of this mystery girl's anatomy was her eyes, which seemed almost like a goldenrod yellow.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing, you little bitch!" howled one of the punks who had his hair cut short and had highlighted it an atrocious green color. At this the girl smirked-- she was actually taller than him, making her in no way 'little.'

"Don't you touch our boss!"

"Yeah, you'll have to go through us first!"

The three goons growled at her and flexed, but Kira, obviously and wisely familiar with the girl, backed away towards Ichimaru. The three rushed her at once, but a few moments of blinding footwork later and they were sprawed on the ground around her, moaning in pain while she only sighed as if she'd gotten a mild workout at most. Without another word, but still wearing that dangerous smile, she walked towards Gin and Kira, being careful to step on one of the fallen men as she approached. Soi Fong could only stare with her mouth hanging open.

_W...who the...?_

"To think that you'd sink so low as to beat up a girl, Ichimaru...Can't exactly say that I didn't see it coming." Gin said nothing at the young woman's assessment of his character, but his obnoxious smile was now replaced with the slightest of frowns. Kira glared at her and took a step forward, but to Soi's further surprise, Gin threw his arm out in front of his friend, making it clear that this was not someone he wanted to trifle with. Her smile widened at his reaction and she casually cracked her knuckles. "...I think you should leave before someone else gets hurt." Gin didn't need telling twice. He shook his head in the opposite direction to Kira, and the two set off as calmly as they could, with the three others scrambling after.

"Hmph. Bastards," the woman muttered as she stretched her arm, turning to finally glance at the girl she had rescued. "Hey, are you okay?" She extended one of her hands to Soi, who glanced at her savior suspiciously before rejecting the hand to pick herself up off the ground. The tall girl grimaced slightly at Soi's reaction. "Hey, no need to be snippy. I DID just save your ass there, if you've forgotten." Soi Fong knew she shouldn't be rude, but instinct told her to be wary of this person, especially since she had beaten up three massive guys and put the fear of God into Ichimaru without so much as breaking a sweat. Still, her manners finally won out, and she reluctantly bowed to the other girl.

"...Thank you very much for helping me." The tall girl, to Soi Fong's surprise, suddenly began to laugh.

"Bowing? What do you think I am, some kinda royalty?" Soi opened her mouth to protest the girl's mockery of her good grace, but the young woman stuck out her hand. "Tell you what-- screw the pomp and all that, the least we can do is introduce ourselves." The Chinese girl stared at the hand ambiguously again for a moment before she grabbed it.

"...I'm Soi Fong. Class 1-B." The taller girl smiled at the compromise they had finally managed to reach as she shook the slender hand in her slightly calloused one.

"Yoruichi Shihouin, Class 4-E. Nice to meet you."

A/N: I don't know if Japanese high schools go up to fourth year, but for all intent and purposes of this story they do now. Ha ha.


	3. She's Got Moxie

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 3: She's Got Moxie

Soi Fong furrowed her brow slightly at the sound of her savior's name.

_Yoruichi Shihouin... why does that name sound familiar? I could swear I've heard it before, but this is the first time we've met..._

"Hey, you're hurt!" Soi was awakened from her thoughts when Yoruichi indicated the bruise on her cheek. "That looks pretty bad..." The tall girl reached out to examine the slight injury, but Soi snapped her head out of reach.

"...It's fine." Yoruichi cocked an eyebrow at the freshman's lack of self-concern.

"Whatever, kid. Here," at this she grabbed Soi Fong by the arm and pulled her in the direction of the school. "...Maybe the nurse'll still be here..." The petite girl tried to break free of Yoruichi's grip, but finding the task quite impossible, finally sighed and allowed herself to be dragged along.

* * *

"Well, it doesn't look too bad..." Soi Fong glanced up at Ms. Unohana, who was walking up to her with some sort of package that was dripping slightly on the ground. "Here, put this on your face," the nurse said with a smile as she held out the package to reveal that it was a zippable plastic bag full of ice cubes. The tiny girl accepted the cold compress wordlessly, only making a slight hiss as she felt the frigid package come into contact with the tender spot on her face. When her escort noticed that she had not thanked the school physician, Yoruichi took the initiative in her stead.

"Thank you for helping us, ma'am," she said with a polite bow which Unohana brushed off with another warm grin and a wave of the hand.

"Oh, it's no trouble, girls. You're just fortunate you managed to catch me, I was getting ready to leave." With nothing to do but allow the ice to take some affect, the nurse sat behind her desk, moving the massive braid which hung around her neck as she leaned comfortably into the seat. "...So, if you don't mind me asking...how did you get that bruise, Miss Fong?" Yoruichi hesitated, not sure how strongly the mellow woman would react to learning that Soi Fong's injury had been the result of being ganged up on and attacked.

"Well, you see--"

"I fell." At the sudden interjection of the youngest female in the room, both Yoruichi's and Ms. Unohana's heads turned in her direction.

"...You fell?"

"Yes. I was running up the steps when I tripped. This girl--" Soi indicated Yoruichi with a nod of the head, "...she saw me and helped me up here." The naturally tanned girl only spared the smallest of intrigued glances at Soi before the nurse turned to look at her instead.

"...Really?..." Ms. Unohana said calmly. Fortunately for Soi Fong, the upperclassman had caught on to her evasion and responded in the affirmative. The sweet-natured woman nodded her head in acceptance but at the same time cast the impression that she didn't entirely believe the alibi. Still, she said nothing regarding it again, and in fact none of them spoke until the nurse took a look at Soi's cheek, said she'd be fine, and the two girls took their leave.

* * *

"...Interesting."

Soi Fong turned her head up towards Yoruichi, who was currently walking beside her and had up to this point allowed silence to reign after they had left the nurse's office. It made her uncomfortable that the girl was still in her company, especially when most people would have brushed her off by now and left her on her own. Soi didn't mind being solitary; rather she enjoyed it when compared to the mindless rambling that so many of her peers indulged in. Still, she had the feeling she didn't want to get on this woman's bad side, so she reluctantly indulged her observation.

"Sorry, but...what's interesting?" Yoruichi tilted her head slightly to make eye contact with the smaller girl and flashed a grin that, for some odd reason, reminded Soi Fong of a cat.

"You could have said something--gotten those guys in trouble, but you kept your mouth shut. Not too mention that you took that beating without so much as a peep. There aren't many girls who could deal with that." In response, she got the silence that had met Ichimaru's taunting. Instead of getting angry, however, she only chuckled at Soi's behavior. "...That how you answer everything, kid?"

"...No," Soi Fong said indignantly, "...If I'd told on him, he would've just come after me later." She avoided adding, 'You probably just made things worse for me anyway,' but it came out in her slightly narrowed eyes and was not lost on Yoruichi, whose smile refused to fade.

"Well, I have to say, you've definitely got some moxie, standing up to an asshole like that." As soon as the unfamiliar word hit her ears, Soi's expression turned to one of puzzlement.

"...Huh? 'Moxie?'"

"Yeah, you know--" Yoruichi began, but was cut off as a guy wearing a striped hat and the boy's uniform for Rukongai ran up to them.

"Hey, Yoru-chan!" he called with a goofy smile on his face, too far to notice the slight twitch on her own features that wasn't lost on Soi Fong. When the long-haired teen finally caught up with the two girls, he was greeted by Yoruichi with a swift smack to the top of his head that knocked off his sandal-hat.

"Oww... What was that for?" he whimpered playfully, but Yoruichi only gave him a stoic glare.

"Damnit, Kisuke...I've told you a million times not to call me that."

"Actually, Yoru-chan...it's probably closer to a million and twenty-fi-- Oww!" He rubbed his head where she'd chopped him again, but her expression was one of sardonic amusement, much to Soi Fong's confusion. She considered taking advantage of their distraction and getting away from the odd pair, but to her chagrin Yoruichi's 'friend' had taken notice of her.

"Hey, who's this? You going into kidnapping now, Yoruichi?" The tall girl rolled her eyes as she flipped her hand in Soi's vicinity.

"Hmm...Well, I may as well introduce you, now that you've corrupted her innocence with your mere presence... Kisuke, this is...the name's Soi, right?" she said with a confused expression to the Chinese girl, who nodded in response. "Yeah, this is Soi Fong. Soi, this is..."

"...Kisuke Urahara," he said with much feigned humility as he extended his palm to Soi Fong. The freshman could only stare at him as the light fell on his face and she managed to finally get a good look at him. With his long, sandy-blonde hair, unshaven face and beach-bum hat, he looked like he had come straight from the encyclopedic definition for 'flower child.' When he did not feel Soi Fong's hand return his gesture of friendship, Urahara looked up to see the new girl giving him a barely-concealed expression of mild distaste. Before he could speak, Yoruichi, who'd noticed Soi Fong's face, smacked Kisuke on the head again, eliciting another groan of pain.

"Now look at what you've done-- you've scared the poor girl!" Yoruichi said wryly.

"But how? I didn't do anything!"

"Well, I TOLD you to get rid of that hat, didn't I?"

"Umm..." Kisuke and Yoruichi stopped their playful teasing at the sound of Soi Fong's quiet voice. "...Listen, it was...nice to meet you both, and thank you for helping me...(she gave Yoruichi a little bow) but I need to get home, so..."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Yoruichi said with a smile. "We'll walk you home!" She didn't catch the slight groan that Soi uttered upon hearing that she would be escorted by two people barely as mature as she was old.

* * *

Fortunately for the uncomfortable girl, the journey home was spent in relative silence. About ten minutes from the house, Soi Fong stopped and bowed.

"...Thank you very much," she said reluctantly, "...but I can go the rest of the way on my own."

"Don't tell me you're ashamed of your house..." Yoruichi said with a bit of a groan. The truth was that Soi didn't feel like answering a lot of awkward questions from her father if she came to the door accompanied by two upperclassmen, who of course avoided any and all contact with their younger fellow students.

Well, goodbye, Shihouin-san, Urahara-san." Yoruichi snorted at the display of formality, while Kisuke only cocked an eyebrow that was invisible behind the brim of his hat.

"Well, nice to meet you, Miss Fong," Urahara uttered with a smirk at the girl's attempt to hide her annoyance at being condescended to, "...I just wish _Shihouin-san_ here was as even-tempered as you are."

"Oh, don't underestimate her, Kisuke. You wouldn't think it, but she's a tough little thing-- got plenty of moxie, don't ya?" She smiled at Soi Fong with something resembling respect in her eyes, but the young girl ignored the unspoken appraisal of her indomitability in favor of aggravation.

"You keep saying that word. Well, what does it mean, anyway?" she finally asked, a little more harshly than she had meant to. Yoruichi, who'd begun to walk away with Urahara in tow, turned at the unexpected question, looking up pensively at the darkening sky before answering.

"Hmm...well, 'moxie' means you've got spunk. You know, nerve."

"Then why didn't you just say that?" In response, the older girl only shrugged her shoulders.

"...Dunno. Just thought it sounded cool, is all. Well, see ya later, Soi Fong," Yoruichi called as she waved over her shoulder. Once the two had moved a fair distance away, squabbling amongst themselves all the while, Soi turned away and continued the walk to her house, barely observing the transformation of the houses she passed as they gradually became more and more delapidated and weatherworn.

_'See me later?'_ Soi Fong mused as the upperclassman's parting words went through her head.

_...Yeah, right._

She knew better than to think that she would see either of them again. What had happened was little more than a lucky coincidence-- if anything, Yoruichi would probably avoid any contact with Soi Fong that wasn't absolutely necessary.

Still, she grudgingly had to admit that she was a very impressive woman-- any retribution that Ichimaru leveled on her in the future would be worthwhile just for seeing him cower away from a member of the 'fairer sex'. And she'd said that she had 'moxie'... even if it was an odd figure of speech, it did make the stoic girl smile just a bit, though she wasn't sure why.


	4. So, She CAN Smile!

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 4: ...So She CAN Smile!

Soi was a bit surprised at how little had changed. No one seemed to know or care about what had happened to her outside of her father, who'd made a few inquiries regarding the still-tender bruise but let the matter drop when she insistently fed him the same fib about injuring herself by means of clumsiness. On the way to her locker at school the next day, a grinning Ichimaru had met her and, looking around shiftily to be certain that her rescuer from before was not lurking around, snatched her lunch box and sauntered away without looking back. The petite girl hadn't expected Gin's retribution to be so underwhelming, but this was undoubtedly not the only torture he had in mind for her. But like always, she shrugged it off and went to class as if nothing had happened.

_Well, I'm just glad that SHE wasn't there...I probably would've gotten a lot worse..._ For a moment she spared a thought for Yoruichi. Even though she had anticipated that the upperclassman would forget about her, and in fact had been counting on it, Soi couldn't help but feel a slight pang of disappointment that she hadn't seen Yoruichi at all. She shook her head, as if to rid the thought from her brain forcefully.

_Come on, Soi Fong. You didn't even WANT to see her again, remember?_

She had half-wanted to ask her fellow classmates about the dark-skinned girl, but decided that between the idea of the reserved Soi Fong actively participating in conversation and giving the impression that she somehow knew an upperclassman, there would be too many awkward questions. After some thought, she made peace with the idea.

_...Besides, that girl just seems like trouble, and that's the last thing I want._

* * *

A few hours later, she casually sat at her desk during the lunch hour, a rock of tranquility in the sea of bustling activity and gossiping students. With no meal to distract her, Soi was busy reading her book again, ignoring the occasional glance in her direction from other freshman at her unsocial behavior, or turning down tentative attempts at giving her company with a few cold upward glances that made it clear she didn't want to be disturbed. The story's action was rapidly reaching a high point and she was so absorbed that the sudden sound of her name being called out made her jump.

"SOI FONNG!"

The passive girl's eyes widened exponentially as she suddenly recognized the carefree voice she had heard only yesterday. She glanced over her book slowly.

_...It couldn't be..._

"HELLO! IS SOI FONG HERE? HELLOOO!" Sure enough, it was, to Soi Fong's utter shock, her rescuer--Yoruichi Shihouin-- standing in the doorway of Class 1-B with that Cheshire-cat smile all over her face again. By now the entire class had noticed the woman who had intruded on their lunch period, and Soi could feel the eyes of just about every student boring into her, as if waiting for her to respond. All the flustered girl could do, however, was shield her face with her book and hope that Yoruichi wouldn't notice her and would go away. Unfortunately for her, Yoruichi spotted her head just over the top of her book. "Hey, there you are!" she said cheerfully as she walked towards Soi Fong's desk, her graceful movements catching the attention of every male in the class (and even a few of the girls). When she heard the footsteps stop just to her right, Soi tentatively looked up, wondering what could have possessed the upperclassman to come looking for her in her own classroom.

"W...what is it?" She said as evenly as she could, which was a feat considering that she was burning red from embarrassment. To put the great big cherry on the top of this humiliation sundae, Yoruichi held up a small bento wrapped in a striped black-and-yellow napkin, which the girl suddenly recognized as the lunch box Ichimaru had filched from her earlier that day.

_D...Did she...?_

"I saw you drop this. It's yours, right?" Soi Fong was about to ask what she was talking about when she caught the slight wink in Yoruichi's eye that told her to play along.

"Umm...Yes..."

"Well, here ya are. Just be more careful next time, all right?" Yoruichi handed the bento to Soi with a grin, then turned and left without another word. The dark-eyed girl barely had time to register what had happened when the room exploded into a loud clash of questions and exlamations, all of them aimed at her.

"What the--?"

"That quiet kid--how did she...?"

"Hey, how do YOU know Yoruichi-sama!"

"I...I'm sorry, I don't..." Soi's eyes darted back and forth between the teens who were ganging up around her, eager for information that an introverted girl like her wasn't collected enough to answer. "...Wait...did you just call her 'Yoruichi-sama?'" the Chinese girl asked uncertainly, wondering if it was some kind of joke. She cringed as the onslaught of voices began anew.

"Of course! Everyone calls her that!"

"You mean you didn't know?"

"Yoruichi-sama is only the most popular student in this whole place!"

"And rich too, from what I hear..."

Soi didn't want to admit that she was glad to finally know something about Yoruichi, so she simply sighed and put her book aside, knowing that there would be no way for her to finish it today.

_And it was getting good, too..._

* * *

"...Ya tryin' ta make me look lik' an idiot, is that it?"

Ichimaru was leaning imposingly on the lockers, blocking Soi Fong's path out of the school. With classes over for the day, there were people swarming around them but all of whom were too caught up in what they were going to do later that they took no notice of the bully and his quarry. He wasn't even bothering to put up his trademark sneer now, he looked genuinely irritated and it showed on his face. "I don't lik' havin' ta beat people up, but ya know that I won't take bein' treated disrespectful by a freakin' freshman." Soi felt the heat of his gaze but looked off to the side almost casually, which infuriated him further. "Hey, you--" he grabbed her by the scruff of her collar and forced her to look him in the eye, "...If ya think that I'm gonna put up wit' this--" he suddenly stopped, and after a few moments, let go of her. Soi furrowed her brow confusedly at his sudden change in behavior, unaware that Yoruichi was standing a few paces behind her, giving Gin a smile and wave that made her presence more than clear. Not wanting to deal with his deceptively strong peer again, Ichimaru turned and headed out the door with the mass of students. Soi Fong didn't have much time to ponder the bizarre occurence she had just witnessed when she heard that voice again and it all suddenly became clear.

"...Hmph. Guys like him are like bad dogs-- a little discipline and they'll eventually learn." The Chinese girl turned to finally acknowledge Yoruichi, but instead of being grateful, her thoughts went bitter.

"Why are you here? Don't you have any friends your own age, Yoruichi-_sama_?" When the dark girl's smile dropped for the first time since they had met, Soi slapped her hand over her mouth, afraid she had gone too far. Unlike Ichimaru, however, Yoruichi only sighed and gave Soi Fong and exasperated glare.

"Oh, for the love of God...don't you start calling me that, too. I HATE that nickname."

_Hmm...Well, I guess she isn't as stuck-up as I thought,_ Soi mused to herself.

"Look--" Yoruichi said as she shifted the bookcase in her hand from her side to over her right shoulder, which made the tiny kitten keychain attached to the zipper shake around wildly, "...I don't know how, but it looks like we got off on the wrong foot a bit. Don't let any of that 'princess' bullshit fool you-- I'm not as shallow as you're probably thinking." To her satisfaction, Soi's face instantly turned a rose color, as she had in fact been thinking along those very lines regarding the upperclasswoman.

"...I apologize, Shihouin-sa--"

"Just...don't." Yoruichi silenced her with an open palm. "Listen, Soi Fong...I'm not doing this to pick on you or cause you problems-- I can tell you've got your fair share of those. I just thought you were...interesting."

_...'Interesting?'_ Soi thought with a bit of anger. _Does she think I'm some kind of science experiment or something?_

"So, I thought I'd make an effort to try and get to know you. Who knows, we might hit it off. How about you try to get to know me before you reject my friendship, eh?"

"...Well..." Soi Fong finally spoke up, looking the other girl square in the eye, "...I guess you're not as weird as I thought you were." Yoruichi couldn't help but chuckle at that. She'd been called many things by her fellow students, but 'weird' was certainly an unfamiliar one.

"Heh. And you're exactly as stubborn as I thought you were," The tall girl jibed playfully, and to her surprise the corners of the quiet freshman's lips actually twitched upwards. "Well, well-- so she CAN smile after all!" Yoruichi teased. Feeling oddly self-conscious, Soi's smile turned into an odd littlelaugh.

* * *

Almost fifteen minutes later, Soi Fong turned around to see that Yoruichi was still walking casually behind her, nonchalantly taking in the houses that made up the Chinese girl's neighborhood.

"Umm...I don't want to be rude, but..."

"Hmm?" Yoruichi mumbled as she turned her attention to her 'escort.'

"...Why are you still following me?" The upperclassman shrugged as if she had nothing to hide.

"No reason-- I'm just heading this way too, is all. Honest," she added when Soi's backward glance turned into a skeptical glare. Soi couldn't help shaking the feeling that there was more to it than that, but turned her attention back to where she was walking nonetheless. Once the freshman girl saw that they were nearing her house, Soi turned and bowed as she had last time.

"...Well, good evening, Shihouin-san."

"Damnit, I told you...just call me 'Yoruichi,' all right?" The upperclassman said with a bit of a growl. "...And besides, what are you talking about? You're not going to see me off here in the street, are you?"

"...Huh?" Soi Fong said curiously, uncertain about Yoruichi meant. "Well, where else would I say good-bye at?"

"Actually," The taller girl said with a bit of a smirk, "...I was hoping I could see your house, especially since I didn't get a chance to see it last time..." Soi Fong's eyes widened at Yoruichi's casual statement. She couldn't remember EVER inviting someone over, much less someone who actually wanted to be in her company.

"...Y-you don't wanna do that. Besides, I'm sure you need to get ho--" Soi began, but Yoruichi forcefully cut her off.

"You mean that I followed you nearly a half-hour out of my way just so you could tell me I can't visit your home?" She said it seriously, but there was a hint of that Chesire-cat grin again and Soi Fong suddenly realized the REAL reason that Yoruichi had been behind her this whole time. Her inbred manners refusing to surrender hospitality to someone who was all but requesting it, Soi let out an acquiescent sigh.

"...All right. I'm just telling you, it's nothing special..."

"I'll be the judge of that," Yoruichi said, grinning victoriously as they continued their journey to the freshman's place of residence.


	5. Guess Who's Staying For Dinner

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 5: Guess Who's Staying for Dinner

Soi had to admit to herself that she was a little nervous when they arrived at the front doorstep. Yoruichi hadn't said anything since they had turned down her street and the houses were becoming progressively more neglected as they walked, almost like watching an animal die frame-by-frame. She remained silent as the smaller girl slid her key into the lock, turning it until it clicked open, then pushed the door inside.

"...Well, like I said, it's nothing special..." Soi muttered apologetically as the upperclassman stepped inside, the floorboards creaking slightly underneath her feet. Yoruichi slipped her shoes off following Soi Fong's lead, then turned her face towards the freshman. Instead of looking disgusted at the Fong family's near poverty, Yoruichi had a wide smile on.

"Are you kidding! I love it!"

"...Huh?" Soi blinked, this reaction far from what she had anticipated. Yoruichi stepped out of the small drop-off where they had left their shoes and walked casually to the staircase, running a hand along the nicked railing.

"I can't see why you're embarrassed about living here-- it's so...cozy, you know? It kinda gives you that warm, nostalgic feeling." Soi Fong turned defensive once she realized what Yoruichi had said.

"I...I don't feel embarrassed! I-I like it here!"

"...Then why were you so insistent on me not coming? Or even Kisuke for that matter?" the older girl countered with a slightly cocked eyebrow. The Chinese girl opened her mouth, but quickly shut it again once she realized she didn't really have an answer to the question. "...Did you think that it would be 'below my dignity?'" Yoruichi added with a wry grin, and Soi, embarrassed, turned in the other direction, knowing that Yoruichi had once again seen through her like a glass window.

"...I-I'm sor--" she began, but the upperclassman waved the feeble apology off.

"Don't be. It's only natural for you to have some assumptions about me-- we don't know each other very well yet. Let's just forget it, all right?" Soi Fong stared at the girl quietly for a moment before she nodded in agreement. It was rather pleasant to see that instead of just being some airheaded tomboy, her savior was in fact wise beyond her years. "...Hey, what's this?" Yoruichi had walked over to a small chest of drawers on the wall beside the stairs that was covered in photos and homemade crafts. She carefully picked up a little object composed of glue and popsicle sticks, painted haphazardly the way only a kindergartener can. "Did you make this?"

"Uh..." Soi hummed as she waited for memory to provide a decent answer. "...Yeah, I made that when I was five-- for my mom." She blushed slightly as she looked at the 'sculpture' she had been so proud of those many years ago and now in hindsight only looked like an eyesore. "It's pretty crappy, I know, but..." Yoruichi didn't think there was anything wrong with it at all, but decided to say nothing regarding the sculpture and changed the subject by picking up a framed picture showing two adults and a little girl.

"Is this your mom?" the tall girl asked as she turned the picture so that Soi could confirm her suspicion with a nod.

"...Yeah." she said after a moment. Yoruichi looked at the tiny girl struggling to escape the protective embrace of a stunning woman with perfectly straight, flowing black hair and a warm smile.

"She's beautiful," The dark woman said quietly. "Where is sh--"

"Let's go into the living room," Soi interrupted and led the way into the next part of the house, her reaction telling Yoruichi more than words could. As such, she never mentioned the photograph, or Soi's mother, again.

* * *

"I'm home!" a man's voice rang warmly through the worn corridors of the small house to be greeted by Soi Fong's voice from the kitchen.

"Hi Dad! I'm in here!" Her father smiled to himself as he took off his suitcoat and hung it on the closet doorknob and set his shoes beside the front door. He turned left in the voice's direction and was swiftly greeted with a hug from a short girl with long braids.

"Hello, honey! How was sch--" He stopped speaking when he caught sight of the tall girl sitting casually at the small kitchen table, smiling in his direction. "...Soi Fong, who's this? Are the bill collectors sending kids to do their dirty work now?" He chuckled at his own joke, but Soi's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of a subject that she didn't find even slightly amusing. Her frown faded immediately, however, since she couldn't stay angry at her father for very long even if it was only in jest.

"Oh, sorry...Dad, this Yoruichi-san, she goes to my school. Yoruichi-san, this is my father." Yoruichi bowed respectfully to the older man, a surprisingly formal action that nearly made Soi giggle, but she succeeded in hiding it behind a cough.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Fong," she said politely.

"Well, it's nice to meet you as well, young lady. Are you one of Soi's friends?" Yoruichi was silent for a moment as she considered his query, then smiled warmly in the other girl's direction.

"...Yeah, I guess I am." Soi Fong's face turned a very light shade of pink at Yoruichi's statement. The idea that, of all people, a popular upperclassman like her would consider Soi as something other than just another faceless freshman seemed unreal. "Well," the tall girl said as she brushed a few stray hairs out of her face, "...It's getting late--I better get home."

As she watched Yoruichi walk to the door, Soi Fong felt a strange desire to ask her to stay longer. She'd been here nearly an hour, and they weren't actually doing anything, and Soi didn't want to inconvenience someone who'd be getting ready for college exams soon, but her mouth was half open when her father suddenly cut her off.

"Hey, wait! Why not stay for dinner? I'll bet you're probably hungry..." Yoruichi hesitated, as she was in fact VERY hungry, but she only held up a hand in mild protest.

"Oh, no--I couldn't impose, and I'm sure you guys want a nice quiet dinner to yourselves..."

"Come on now," the middle-aged man protested. "I won't take 'no' for an answer. I never get to meet my Soi Fong's friends and this would be a nice opportunity." The upperclassman was about to refuse again, but after a few moments spent in quiet contemplation, she stepped away from the front door.

"...You know what? I'd like that...If it's really not too much trouble."

Soi Fong managed to fight down the strange urge to jump for joy, and contented herself with only a slight smile.

* * *

Unfortunately for Yoruichi, Soi's father had no idea how to cook, a fact that became evident when he somehow succeeded in actually setting the noodles he was making on fire. Once the smoke cleared and the long-haired upperclassman managed to stop laughing, he reluctantly dug in the cabinet and pulled out the phone book, finally stopping at a number for local pizza delivery place.

"It'll probably take about half an hour," the graying man said with a sigh after he put the telephone back on its stand. "So, Yoruichi-chan... (the dark girl flinched at being referred to as 'chan' but did nothing) ...How did you meet Soi Fong? She never mentioned you before..."

"Oh, uh... Well, she showed up at the Karate club one week and she's been going ever since."

Soi blinked at how quickly Yoruichi had fabricated these alternate circumstances of their first meeting; it was almost as if she had anticipated the question from the start.

"Really? Soi Fong in Karate?" he responded with an impressed look on his face, then turned to look at his daughter sitting at the other end of the table. "...I didn't know you'd taken an interest in sports." Soi turned red from the exacting stare her father was giving her, but managed a 'yes' that satisfied him.

"Oh, she's great!" Yoruichi continued, eager now that she knew her story had been believed. "Most kids her age aren't as eager to stay with the program just because it starts so slow, but she's been sticking with it the whole time!"

"Yes, Soi's always been the patient type," her father said with an appraising smile. "I'm sure you'll find she's a very dedicated person."

"I'm sure she is," Yoruichi said with a nod. With that, the conversation effectively died, leaving an uncomfortable silence in its wake.

"...You know," the patriarch said without warning, startling the two girls, "...I have to say that I'm glad to have met you, Yoruichi-chan (another flinch on Yoruichi's part). To be honest, I was starting to worry that Soi Fong hadn't made any friends." The two girls laughed uncomfortably at that, and afterwards the conversation degenerated into small talk until there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Soi said as she got out of her chair, eager for an excuse to evade pointless chit-chat.

"Oh, here's the money," her father indicated a few bills in his hand. "...Be sure to tip him, okay?" The freshman nodded, taking the money and walking to the front door just as the visitor began a fresh stream of banging.

"...I'm coming, I'm coming..." Soi muttered in annoyance at the delivery man's apparent impatience as she turned the knob. Once she opened the door and saw who it was standing there, she did a double take.

_...No way..._

"Hi, delivery for the Fong famil-- Wait a minute..." the courier lifted up the brim of his striped bucket hat to reveal a pair of eyes staring out from behind a mess of sandy hair. His expression was indescernible for a few moments until his face broke into a smile. "...Hey, I remember you! The kid with moxie, right?"

"Uh...Yeah, it's Soi Fong," the braided girl said as she gave him a slightly irritated glare. "Uh...and you're Urahara, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," he said casually. "...So, this is your place, huh?"


	6. The Punch Heard 'Round The World

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 6: The Punch Heard 'Round The World

"Hey, Soi, what's takin' so lo--" Yoruichi started as she walked up to her petite friend, but then saw who she was talking to. "...Kisuke? What the hell are you doing in that get-up?"

"Hey, Yoru-chan! (smack) Oww! You don't need to be so rough, Yoru-ch-- (smack-smack) Oww!" Urahara rubbed his crown as he bent down to pick up his fallen sandal-hat, handing the warm pizza box to Soi Fong on his way down. "Hey, since Yoruichi's here, you mind if I stay for a while?" Soi Fong was too appalled by Urahara's boldness to speak immediately, but fortuately Yoruichi seemed more than used to this behavior.

"What are you talking about? I assume that you're WORKING for once, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Urahara said with a shrug as he tried to let himself in but was stopped by Yoruichi's hand, "...But they won't care if I'm a little late since I just started..."

"...There's no WAY I'm going to let you slack away another job, Kisuke..." Yoruichi began, but was swiftly interrupted by her unshaven friend.

"Come on, I haven't even eaten dinner yet!" He said with a slight pout, which left the tall girl unfazed.

"Look, first off, you should've eaten before your shift began! Secondly, this ISN'T my house so I don't have any right to say whether or not you can come in. Soi!" The freshman girl jumped at suddenly being brought into the argument.

"Uhh...Yes?"

"Are you going to let Kisuke in?" Soi could only look at the sandy-haired male's pitiful expression for so long before she acquiesced, completely missing the look on Yoruichi's face that made it clear he should have no part in their meal.

"...It's all right with me..."

"Ah! Thanks, Soi-chan!"

_...'Soi-chan?'_ the girl thought with annoyance as Kisuke let himself in, nearly forgetting to slip off his shoes in the process.

"Umm...Soi Fong? Why is the pizza guy still here?" the head of the house called from the kitchen when Urahara shuffled past a clearly annoyed Yoruichi, not courageous enough to look her in the eye.

"Oh! I'm one of Yoruichi's friends! Kisuke Urahara--pleased to meet you!" the laid-back teen said casually, his jovial voice carrying over into the entryway where Soi was starting to look repentant and Yoruichi sighed in exasperation.

"...Was it bad for me to let him in?"

"Yes. Yes it was," Yoruichi said with flawless deadpan delivery.

* * *

In spite of Yoruichi's additude regarding Urahara as a dinner guest, he was surprisingly well behaved--even if he didn't always address Soi's father with the proper degree of respect and did end up eating nearly half the pizza before Yoruichi stopped him with another smack on the head. Soi's father, at first nonplussed by Urahara's devil-may-care demeanor, now seemed to be enjoying the teen's company, and the two had fallen into friendly conversation. 

"...So then I realized that I'd overslept, and I completely missed the Center Exam. So then I just went right back to sleep!" Soi was holding back a chuckle at the absurdity of Urahara's anecdote, while her father was laughing out loud and Yoruichi was absentmindedly chewing on her slice of pizza.

"That's not really a story to be proud of," The girl said lazily as she wiped off a bit of tomato sauce with the back of her hand.

"N-no, it's not, but..." the eldest Fong was only barely succeeding in suppressing his glee as he set down his glass of water. "...I have to admit, the same thing happened to me when I was that age!" Soi blinked in shock at the mention of an event that he had never divulged to her before.

"D-Dad? You had to re-take the college test?" She couldn't believe that her intelligent and wise patriarch could ever have anything in common with this uncouth loser.

"Well...yes I did, actually," he said with a bit of humility. "...It's really not an uncommon thing, Soi-- lots of kids don't get into college right after high school. Sorry I never told you--I just thought that you'd think less of me for it."

"N-no!" she answered immediately, but now she wondered if there happened to be more skeletons in her father's closet. She was shaken away from her thoughts as Yoruichi leaned toward her and whispered.

"...How the hell did this end up happening?" The tall girl sighed as she glared at her friend, but her simple statement had set off a question in Soi's mind.

_...How DID this happen?_

Of all the bizzare things that had occured to her over the last few days, this had to be the most outlandish: what had begun as simply another quiet evening with her father had somehow transformed into a real dinner with people laughing and talking. As she took in the sight before her, Soi Fong suddenly realized that for the first time in who knew how many years, her table was full.

* * *

"Well, I'd better get going," Yoruichi said with a contented yawn as she headed for the front door. "...And thanks for having me for dinner," she added with a bow to Soi's father. 

"...I'd better be headin' out too," Urahara lazily added. "I probably should be getting back to work..."

"You should've BEEN at work a half-hour ago!" Yoruichi chided with a roll of the eyes that was not lost on anyone in the vicinity. "I swear, only someone as smart as you would be a two-time ronin stuck in freakin' food service!"

"Huh?" Soi said with unabashed confusion. Had Yoruichi just implied that Urahara wasn't a complete idiot?

"...It's a long story," the unshaven teen said as he picked up his striped hat from its place on a nearby chair.

"Oh-- don't forget your money for the delivery!" Soi's father said as he reached in his pocket and handed Urahara the money his daughter had returned to him.

"Oh, hey...You don't need to worry about that, I've already imposed on you enough--"

"No." Urahara's casual grin faded at the sudden degree of severity in the old man's voice. "I won't accept a handout. Take it." After a few moments of both obstinate men standing there in silence, Urahara reached out at the open palm, but only took half the money.

"Here--since I ate more than my share, consider it a discount." Soi's father, whose face had been frighteningly stoic for the last few minutes, suddenly smiled and slammed Urahara so hard on the back that the surprised teen doubled over and Yoruichi broke into laughter.

"...You're a good kid, Urahara-kun. And you too, Yoruichi-chan. Feel free to visit whenever you want." The two upperclassmen bowed in his direction (for Urahara it was more of a low nod) and Yoruichi gave Soi Fong a quick wave and a smile before following her friend outside. "Well, I'm glad you've got some friends, Soi-chan," her father said with a grin as he turned back into the kitchen, not noticing the odd look on his daughter's face. It seemed like such an odd thing to say for something so casual, but before she could regret it, Soi ran to the door and opened it so that she was standing on the outside step.

"Y-Yoruichi-san!" The tall girl turned at the sound of her name to see Soi Fong standing on the small area that served as her front porch, her nervous blush invisible in the twilight. "T-thank you for staying for dinner..." Soi was afraid that the upperclassman might think her 'clingy' or 'needy,' but Yoruichi only smiled and waved again as she headed toward Urahara's parked car, outfitted with a lit-up sign for the pizza place on its roof.

"Thanks, Soi Fong! See you tomorrow at school!" Somehow, the smile that Yoruichi gave her had become infectious-- Soi had caught it, and it refused to fade from her face even when her father asked her if she had something on her mind.

* * *

Soi Fong woke up the next morning feeling oddly refreshed and excited. What she was excited about specifically she wouldn't even admit to herself, but even so she got up and dressed with such speed that her father took notice and asked her about the odd change in her demeanor. She blushed against her will as she told her father that she was simply feeling energetic today, which only made him chuckle as she practically swallowed her breakfast and dashed out the front door. The trip to school practically flew by, and nothing shattered Soi's blissful illusion until she felt a strong hand grab her collar from behind and force her into a small alcove in the school's outer wall. 

"Well, well... an' what're you so happy 'bout?" Soi blinked and looked up to see her antagonist sneering down at her, his vicious grin set firmly back in place. The fearful girl tried to break free, but he merely reinforced his grip with his other hand. "Th' way I see it, ya got nothin' to be smilin' over, what wit' yer bodyguard not bein' here an' all. Now, about that beatin' ya weaseled yer way out of..."

"Ichimaru!" The silver-haired bully turned his head to see Yoruichi standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and a deadly gleam in her eye. "Let her go." Before Gin could speak, a second, far more laid-back voice sounded from around the corner.

"Hey, Yoru-chan...What's goin' on over here?" With a grin, Urahara appeared and walked until he was standing beside Yoruichi, looking relaxed but ready to jump in as soon as things got ugly. Instead of fear, however, Gin's eyes were full of contempt.

"Hmph. Why're you makin' such a fuss over this kid, Shihouin? Ya never were one ta play th' defender o' the weak b'fore..."

"She's my friend," Yoruichi said with an icy undertone. "So...If you've got a problem with her then you'll have to deal with me." Urahara made a threatening step in Ichimaru's direction, but Yoruichi stopped him with an outstretched hand. The bully's grin widened at her attempt to intimidate him as he turned his attention back to the helpless Soi Fong.

"Well, that may be... but she still needs ta be taught a lesson for makin' me look like an idio--" he stopped as he noticed a glimmer of metal carefully hidden beneath the freshman's shirt. "Hmm...What's this?" He tugged on the chain to reveal that it was a necklace with a small pendant hanging at the end. Even Yoruichi blinked when she saw the surprisingly expensive-looking charm-- a long, slender ruby cut into a rectangle with silver trim, the perimeter of which was lined with what looked almost like tiny diamonds.

"Hmm..." Ichimaru said with glee in his voice as he toyed with the pendant in his hand, "...maybe I'll spare ya' that beatin' and just pawn this thing instead." He looked up at his victim and was satisfied to see her eyes widening with what he assumed was dread. "Besides, this lil' thing's prob'ly worth more than some poor trash like you could--"

"GET YOUR GODDAMN HANDS OFF THAT!"

Ichimaru barely had time to react to the uncharacteristic scream and anger issuing forth from the docile Soi Fong before a fist came out of nowhere and sent him straight to the ground, finally freeing her from the bully's grip. Soi turned her eyes gratefully in Yoruichi's direction, but to her surprise the dark upperclassman and her confidant were both standing with looks of utter shock on their faces. It took Soi a moment staring at her still-clenched fist to realize that the one who had just broken Ichimaru's nose was her. For what seemed like an eternity, no one moved or said anything. Finally, his hand sheltering his slowly bleeding orifice, Ichimaru stood up without a word and forced his way past Urahara and Yoruichi, neither of whom made any attempt to stop him.

"...Um..." Soi began, unconsciously rubbing her now-sore knuckles, "...I didn't really mean for that to happen..." before she could continue, however, Yoruichi's face broke into a jovial smile and she hugged the petite girl, easily picking her up and twirling her as she laughed the whole time.

"THAT WAS AWESOME! You flat-out kicked his ASS!" the tall girl managed through tears of irrestrainable mirth as she set the nonplussed Soi back on the ground. "I never thought I'd see the day when he-- Oh, damn, that was great!" Urahara stared dumbfounded at his friend's reaction, while Soi Fong was left speechless from a combination of the shock of actually hitting Ichimaru and the unexpected after-effect of Yoruichi's embrace.

* * *

"Well, I don't think you'll have to deal with him again. He won't wanna admit that he got his ass kicked by a freshman," Urahara said with a grin as the three walked down the halls of the school, a measure of normalcy restored to their already unusual interactions. 

"Oh, come on...It was just a lucky punch," Soi began with a blush on her face, but Yoruichi interrupted.

"Whatever. Luck had nothing to do with it. Although I am curious as to what could have made you angry enough to hit him..." The long-braided girl carefully adjusted her collar to hide her pendant again, not wanting to talk about the precious piece of jewelry at the moment.

"Well, this is where we part ways," Urahara said with a wave as he walked toward the stairs.

"...Goodbye, Yoruichi-san," Soi Fong said with a slight bow to the upperclassman. Yoruichi sighed to herself at Soi's incessant formality, but was grateful that at least she was addressing her in a more casual way. The freshman started to walk off just as a thought occured to Yoruichi and she called back to her.

"Hey, Soi Fong!" Once the younger girl's attention was again hers, Yoruichi gave her another grin. "You know, you really should come by the Karate Club one of these days."


	7. Where's Pat Morita When You Need Him?

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 7: Where's Pat Morita When You Need Him?

_What am I doing here?_

That was all Soi could ask herself as she stood outside the door to the gymnasium, debating on whether or not to go in. She had been thinking about what Yoruichi had said earlier about her joining the Karate Club-- which was strange in and of itself, considering that she didn't really enjoy sports at all and if it had come from anyone else she wouldn't have given it a second thought. But since it HAD come from the only person she could really consider a friend, the idea had slowly germinated in her mind during classes, growing larger and harder to ignore throughout lunch until she finally decided to at least try it. And thus she stood here now, after the final bell had rung and she normally would have been heading home now so that she could get her homework done. The girl with the long braids finally sighed, and turning the knob pushed the cool metal door open.

What she saw on the other side made her apprehension multiply tenfold. As if on cue just about every head in the room, each one attached to a body sitting cross-legged on mats and clothed in simple white _gi_, turned at the click of the door opening and acknowledged Soi Fong with questioning stares. Soi instantly felt the desire to run away as her shy inclinations threatened to overwhelm her, but before she could even begin to move the instructor noticed the girl.

"Hello, young lady. Come sit down, don't be shy." Realizing that there really was no turning back now, Soi Fong walked to an open space among her fellow students, quite a few of whom seemed to be female, to her surprise.

"Well," the instructor said once Soi had taken a place, looking distinctly outlandish in her uniform amongst the sea of pure white. "...As you can see, we have an addition to our club as of today." He turned to the new girl and indicated that she should stand and introduce herself. Fighting down a blush, Soi jumped onto the balls of her feet and bowed low, resulting in a few snickers among the other girls.

"I'm...I'm Soi Fong, C-Class 1-B."

"Well, we're glad that you've taken an interest in Karate, Miss Fong. My name is Byakuya Kuchiki of 4-A, but here you'll refer to me as Kuchiki-sensei," the stoic, long-haired instructor said as he calmly observed the petite girl. Even Soi Fong, who was normally impassive to those around her, thought the imposing man to be more than a little cold. "...Is that understood?"

"Y-yes," the freshman managed in a quiet voice.

"Yes _sensei_," Byakuya gently corrected her.

"...Yes, Kuchiki-sensei." Relieved that the humiliation was over, Soi Fong quickly squatted back onto the floor, noticing on her way down that Yoruichi (who gave her an encouraging wink) and another guy she didn't recognize with bright red hair and tattoos on his narrow face were sitting comfortably on either side of the instructor.

"...As of today, we're going to be picking up where we left off last week," Byakuya began as if nothing had happened. "Shihouin-san will take the advanced student girls (a fact that did not surprise Soi Fong in the slightest), while the advanced boys wills study with me and Abarai-san takes the intermediates. Rukia-san!" A tiny girl at the front bowed (it was almost impossible to tell if she would have been taller standing up or not) at the sound of her name. "...Can I trust you to take the beginners?"

"Y-yes, onii-san," Rukia answered, and after a few moments the organized rows of students disintegrated into a huddle of babbling teens as they headed off in different directions.

"Well, over here, rookies," the girl who had called Byakuya 'brother' said to the class as a whole, in order to allow the new kids to weed themselves out from the rest. Soi was about to follow Rukia to another corner of the room when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"...You said your name was 'Soi Fong, right?" When the girl in question turned around, she nearly ran straight into a bosom that, to put mildly, simply defied logic. It almost surprised Soi when she looked up and saw that the enormous rack was sitting below the neckline of a tall redhead with curls-- she'd almost assumed that it was its own lifeform entirely. "Umm...I know we've never met," the senior said as she extended her hand, "...but I'm--"

"...Rangiku Matsumoto, right?" Soi finished with such ease that the upperclassman smiled.

"Hey, that's right! How did you know my name?" The shorter girl declined to mention that Matsumoto's infamous cup size had ensured that she'd overheard the name spoken by just about every horny teen in the school.

"...Easy. You're Ichimaru's girlfriend, right?" She said it as politely as she could, but Soi couldn't hide just a bit of resentment from finding its way into her tone. Rangiku's face became neutral as she picked up on the freshman's additude and for a moment Soi cringed as she waited for the hammer to fall. What the busty redhead did next, however, completely surprised her-- she put her hands together in the traditional gesture of apology and did a little half-bow.

"...Actually, the reason I wanted to talk to you was about Gin--I'm really, really sorry he's been teasing you!"

..._'Teasing?'_ Soi blanched at how Ichimaru's incessant torture had been whitewashed into something that sounded almost laughable, but she had to admit that an apology, even if it wasn't coming from the bastard himself, was better than nothing.

"Oh--Really, it's no big deal..." She started with a wave of the hand, but the other girl shook her head.

"No, it is! Don't worry, I'm gonna straighten him out about all this the next time I see him!" Noticing the green belt around Matsumoto's _gi_, Soi felt fairly certain that there would be more exchanged than just 'a few words.' Before Soi could respond, Rukia called in her direction.

"Hey, newbie! This isn't a freakin' coffee shop-- You can mince words with your girlfriends later!"

"Oh, jeez--I need to get with my group too!" Rangiku said as her eyes widened and she dashed to another end of the gym, waving a goodbye to Soi, who only responded with a confused look before she walked over to her place among the other beginners.

"Now that Miss Congeniality's decided to join us..." Rukia said with an arched eyebrow in Soi's direction, to which a few chuckled. The youngest of the Kuchiki children, however, was not amused. "HEY!" she said in a voice of pure authority, which made everyone present shudder involuntarily despite Rukia's small size. She walked up to the one who'd laughed, a fairly tall boy with medium-length brown hair and a long face. "...I DON'T THINK I SAID YOU COULD LAUGH, DID I!"

_...They're DEFINITELY siblings,_ Soi considered quietly as she watched the boy cower from Rukia's death glare, almost as intimidating as Byakuya's.

"...what's your name, Mr. I-Think-Everything's-Funny?"

"K-Keigo. Keigo Asano," the boy answered nervously, not wanting to anger Rukia further.

"All right, Asano-kun," Rukia said as her face softened into an apparently kindhearted smile, "...I know something that'll get some laughs." She walked onto a wide plastic gymnastics mat, taking off her shoes as she went and setting them neatly together on the floor, gesturing for Keigo to do the same. "...Come up here, please," she said in a voice too sweet to not be suspicious. He hesitated for only a moment, looking apprehensive, but finally someone behind him gave Keigo a push, the momentum of which made him hobble forward and leaving him no chance to escape. He sighed as he imitated Rukia, leaving his shoes paired beside his sensei's. "...I want you to attack me," the upperclassman said as she casually stood in front of him.

"W-what?" Keigo managed, uncertain of what the tiny brown-belt had planned.

"Don't be shy, Asano-kun," Rukia said in a wide, almost Ichimaru-esque grin that forced Soi to stifle a chuckle with the back of her hand. The brown-haired boy took a gulp as he planted his feet, shaking his head to psych himself up.

"...Okay, here goes," he muttered just before running at his sensei. When he was within range, he threw his fist straight out, aiming for her face and hoping that he wouldn't accidentally hurt her. At the last second, however, Rukia sidestepped so that she was centered with Kiego (who was still running toward her), and in one swift, blinding movement, was standing over a very surprised and sore boy. While he was busy struggling to understand how he had somehow ended up on the ground, the beginners broke into peals of laughter while Rukia bent over him, still smiling.

"...There we go. Now wasn't that funny?" The tiny girl said with feigned glee.

"W-what are you talking about!" Keigo managed after a few moments of stuttering. "I had no idea you were going to THROW me!"

"Oh, that's okay--I think the rest of us enjoyed it." Rukia gave a much more fearful Keigo a hand up, then waited a few moments for the laughter to die down before switching back to her serious demeanor. "Now, that move I just performed-- by the time you're an Orange Belt, you'll be able to start to learn how to defend yourself by using your opponent's weight against you. Despite what many of you may be thinking, that's what Karate is for: self-defense, not for attacking others. Moreover, Karate is an art form; it's a means for one to attain a sense of oneness with themselves and the world around them. And since the most important part of the martial arts is discipline..." Rukia's eyes narrowed as she could almost feel the disappointment emanating from the impatient beginners, "...Today we will spend the period in silent meditation." Sure enough, an almost synchronized groan came from the mass of students.

* * *

_Oww...damnit..._

Soi rubbed her calf as she tried to pull herself up, but after sitting cross-legged for over an hour both her legs had fallen asleep and were threatening to cramp if she moved too quickly.

"Hey, are you still here?" Soi looked up to see Yoruichi walking out of the women's locker room, a towel hung around her neck and her gi exchanged for a black tank top and navy-blue running pants, the material of which crinkled with every step the coffee-toned girl took. "Umm...What are you still doing on the ground? Everyone's already gone home..." The freshman's eyes shifted around nervously before answering in a low mutter.

"...My leg's asleep." As she had feared, Yoruichi responded with a loud, almost cackling laugh. "It's not funny! I'm not used to sitting like this!" the Chinese girl said defensively. After a few minutes, Yoruichi calmed down, but still let out a few snickers as she got on her knees and grabbed one of Soi's legs.

"Hey, what are you-- OWW!" Soi began, her face involuntarily turning red at the sudden contact, but her protestations were cut short as Yoruichi pulled the leg straight, pushing so that the prickling muscles hurt worse than before.

"Just relax," Yoruichi said with a roll of the eyes and a hint of an amused smile; Soi could tell that there would be no arguing with her, so she simply sighed and allowed the upperclassman to inflict more pain on her. After a few minutes in this uncomfortable position, Yoruichi released her hold on the appendage. "There--How's that?" Soi was about to complain that it hurt worse now, but after a few seconds she realized that her leg wasn't prickling anymore.

"...It's...it's better, actually!" She wiggled her foot around, stretching the tendons before standing up with no trouble. "Thanks!" she said with a smile.

"Oh, hey--it's no problem. Once you've done it for a few weeks, you'll get used to it. So," Yoruichi asked as she pulled her long hair back into a ponytail and secured it with a strip of biege-colored cloth, "...Did you like it? The club, I mean."

"...Well..." Soi wanted to say that she had hated practically the whole experience-- from the so-called 'meditation' and her tough-as-nails sensei to the smell of sweat that permeated the air, but she didn't want to let Yoruichi think she wasn't grateful for being considerate of her. "You see--"

"That bad, huh?" Before the braided girl could make some form of denial, Yoruichi interrupted her with a wry grin. "Ahh, you wouldn't be the only one who hated this group after only one meeting. Most people just don't have the patience to stick with it long enough for it to get good, you know?"

"Yeah, well..." Soi began but her voice faded off, her eyes casual and uncaring as they walked toward the exit.

"Hey, come over here." The braided girl looked around to see that Yoruichi had somehow stopped walking beside her and was now standing atop one of the gym mats, her shoes tossed on the floor haphazardly.

"...Wait, why?" she asked curiously, trying not to look interested but unable to prevent it from showing on her face.

"Just come here. And don't forget to take your shoes off, too." Soi relented and did as Yoruichi asked, standing in a spot that the upperclassman indicated with her finger. "Okay--now stand with your feet like this." Yoruichi set her feet parallel with her shoulders, her toes pointing straight ahead.

"...Wait..." the freshman said as she realized what Yoruichi was doing, "...I thought we weren't supposed to learn actual techniques yet."

"Well, yes," the tall girl said with an uncharacteristically serious expression. "As a beginner, you're not allowed to learn this stuff yet. Or at least--" her face turned back to its normal mischevious grin as she finished, "...that's what Byakuya-kun thinks. I, however, know from experience that you've definitely got the potential to do well here, so I wanna give you a head start."

"B...but won't Kuchiki-sensei be angry with you?" Soi asked nervously. The black-belt, however, made a little noise that was half-snort, half-chuckle.

"Feh. Byakuya-kun may seem tough, but if I had a strawberry for every time I've beaten him, I'd have a lifetime's worth of smoothies right now." At that, they both shared a laugh, Soi once again impressed by her friend's strength. "Now," Yoruichi said as she settled back into her stance, "...Let's try a few basic punches, all right?" Feeling far more comfortable with her friend than she had with her peers, Soi smiled as she stood next to Yoruichi, planting her feet as the other woman had told her.


	8. A Perfect Fit

The Cat and The Bee 

Disclaimer: Oh, just in case I didn't mention it before: Don't own Bleach or its awesome characters.

Chapter 8: A Perfect Fit

It had been two weeks since Soi Fong had taken the plunge and joined the Karate Club, and she had to admit that now she was actually starting to enjoy it. True, in the normal classes with Rukia-sensei, she was still meditating and occasionally made to help keep the gym clean with her fellow beginners, but for fifteen minutes after every club meeting Yoruichi would stay behind, teaching her some new stances or attacks. Sometimes they would end up staying as late as a half-hour, Yoruichi taking the time to make sure that Soi had completely mastered something. She had also gotten to know Rukia a little better, and had discovered that she was actually a very nice girl, if a little on the pushy side, and more oddly, had managed to get along with Rangiku, who had brought Soi a batch of cookies (purchased from the supermarket) as an apology on her behalf for her boyfriend's behavior.

"...And don't worry, I taught him a damn good lesson for it, too!" the busty redhead had said with a determined expression that almost seemed comical on her. Soi was still smiling over this event when she walked into the gym to see all the club's members standing in a packed circle.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked as she got closer and saw a glimpse of Byakuya in the middle, inexplicably exchanging blows with the scarlet-haired Renji.

"Oh, not much," the short-haired Tatsuki answered with a bored expression. "They're just giving another 'demonstration.'" Soi nodded in comprehension as she turned her attention back to the skirmish. She'd heard about these from Yoruichi-- it seemed that the diminutive Rukia and the brutish Renji were actually in a relationship, which Byakuya didn't mind as long as they kept their hands to themselves whenever he happened to be around. Occasionally, however, the eldest Kuchiki would catch them making out, and these 'practice bouts' were the end result of a desire to send a clear message to the 'human tattoo:'

Mess with my sister, get beat up. Cheat on said sister, and you're dead.

"...As you can see, Abarai-san just tried to attack me with a series of body punches, followed by a roundhouse kick aimed at the head," Byakuya casually intoned to the rest of the club as he stood at one end of the circle looking perfectly composed while Renji was doubled over, huffing for breath at the other. "He failed to consider, however, that these techniques are easy enough to avoid if you carefully watch your opponent's movements-- Also, he exerted far too much energy and thus only succeeded in tiring himself. The key to efficient movement in the martial arts is..."

"Quit makin' fun of me!" Renji hollered as he rushed Byakuya again, only to be tripped and land face-down on the ground, resulting in a collective "ooh" from various club members.

"...As I was saying," Byakuya continued as though nothing had happened, "...The key to efficient movement in the martial arts is to restrict your actions to the simplest ones. Your opponent's will undoubtedly act rashly, which is something that the level-headed student of Karate should be able to use to their advantage." He turned his head to acknowledge the still-grounded body of Renji huffing on the floor before focusing his attention back on the club. "I think that's enough demonstration for now. Everyone go to their groups and continue where you left off last time." The circle instantly broke up, giving the diminuitive Rukia an opportunity to help her boyfriend to his feet, all the while growling underneath his breath things like 'I'm gonna kick his ass one of these days' and 'next time we're goin' to my house.' Once the petite dark-haired girl had determined that the only thing Renji had injured was his pride, she called out to the club again.

"All right rookies, get over here-- I've got a real treat for you today." Reluctantly and with much sighing, the beginners congregated around Rukia, afraid of what kind of 'treat' she had planned for them. "Well, it's been a few weeks and we've lost a few slackers, (Soi glanced around to see that there were indeed far fewer people in their group than there had been before: from around 20 to 12 beginners remained, including herself) ...but starting today I'm going to be teaching you some techniques." At this, the mood lightened considerably, and Rukia had to shout to be heard over the excited babbling. "Hey, keep it together, people! Now..." she got onto the nearby mat and positioned her feet the way Yoruichi had shown Soi Fong, to which the freshman smiled reminiscently, "...I want you all to repeat my movements as best as you can."

* * *

"No, no, no!" Rukia groaned as she looked at the disorganized students, covering her eyes as though to cleanse what she was seeing from her mind's eye. "You guys have it wrong again! When you punch, you need to keep your wrists STRAIGHT! Like THIS!" She demonstrated the proper form again, only to see the beginners make more half-hearted attempts. "I swear, could you at least make an EFFORT to pay attention to what I'm doing! Hell, the only one who's even coming close is Fong-san over here!" Soi blinked and snapped to attention when she heard her name spoken aloud by Rukia. Although she was still making quite a few mistakes due to nervousness stemming from her sensei's firecracker personality, the young freshman was still doing much better than her peers. 

"Oh, no...I'm not really--" she began but Rukia walked up to her with what passed for an appraising look on her stoic face.

"Nonsense. Your form's good, and your actually doing it in time with me! I have to say that I'm rather impressed."

"Uh...Thank you, Kuchiki-sensei," Soi quietly said with a bow.

"Out of curiousity...is this your first time doing this sort of thing?" Rukai asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Umm...Yes?" the Chinese girl answered nervously, but fortunately Rukia seemed satisfied with her response because she went right back to the front of the group and continued with their training.

* * *

Soi let out a sigh as she left the locker room showers, feeling refreshed by the cool water after working out in the stale heat of the gym. 

"Hey, Soi Fong!" Yoruichi called as she walked out a moment later wearing a smile along with her casual tank top and jogging pants, her wet dark hair matted wildly about her face. "...You wanna do some practice while we're here?"

"Oh! Sorry, Yoruichi-san, I've got a lot of homework to do tonight; I thought it'd be better to skip that today."

"...Oh...okay, that sounds good." The upperclassman's voice and face was as jovial as they always were, but Soi's brow narrowed slightly as she pondered Yoruichi's response.

_...Did she just seem...disappointed? No...I must just be imagining it._

"So," the tall girl said casually, throwing off Soi's train of thought, "...What have you got to do?"

"Oh, it's this--" without warning, Soi stopped talking, which made Yoruichi turn to look at her.

"...Soi Fong?" Yoruichi followed the path of her friend's eyes to see her and Ichimaru's gazes locked from opposite ends of the gym, him standing near the door and looking as unhappy to see Soi as she was to see him. "Okay, just stay here," the dark upperclassman said to Soi as she turned her attention to Ichimaru. "...I'll take care of this." Before Yoruichi could even take three paces in Gin's direction, however, a light feminine voice sounded from behind them.

"Hi, Gin!" Both Yoruichi and Soi Fong turned their heads to see Rangiku running past them toward her boyfriend, her button-down shirt looking quite at the point of falling apart. "Oh! Bye Soi Fong, Yoruichi-san!" the redhead called with a smile as she turned back to a now smiling Ichimaru and the two left together.

"Huh, I guess she DID set him straight," Yoruichi said with a chuckle as the two girls walked to the exit. "Anyway, what were you saying about that homework of yours?"

"Huh? ...Oh, it's just some Geometry stuff-- areas of three-dimensional spaces, that sort of thing," Soi answered.

"Ehh..." the upperclassman said with a look of repulsion. "Well, I'd offer to help you, but to be honest I don't really remember that stuff. When it came to math, I was really more focused on passing then on learning it." They walked in silence after that, both enjoying the warmth the sun gave as it sunk closer to the horizon, dyeing the sky a multitude of shades of pink and orange. Soi jumped a little when Yoruichi suddenly broke the stillness. "Hey...Penny for your thoughts."

"...Huh? What do you mean?" the freshman asked in confusion.

"I dunno," Yoruichi admitted with a shrug. "It just seems like you've got something on your mind." Soi Fong sighed to herself at the casualness of her friend's statement. Itwas strange that someone could read her as easily as Yoruichi could, but at the same time, it also made her feel as though they truly had a connection.

"Well..." Soi began a bit awkwardly, "...I was just kind of wondering how someone like Matsumoto-san could be with a guy like Ichimaru. I mean, they're like night and day, you know? But it seems like she's the only one he listens to..."

"Yeah, I guess it is kinda odd," Yoruichi admitted. "A lot of people asked the same question when they started goin' out, but I guess they all just got used to seeing it, and so they stopped asking. I don't know a lot myself, but I think they've been friends for a long time." Soi didn't say anything to this revelation outside of an admissive grunt. "Well, I guess opposites are just drawn to each other sometimes. I mean, look at us." Soi had to chuckle at that, since it their relationship really did seem like an impossibility, considering how different their backgrounds and personalities were.

"Well," Soi said with a grin when they reached the street corner, "...I'd better get home. I'll see you later, okay?" She turned in the direction of her house and was about to leave when Yoruichi stopped her.

"Wait!" The freshman turned around to see Yoruichi digging furiously in her school bag. "...I know I brought it with me today...Ahh, here it is!" Without further ado and to the utter surprise of Soi Fong, the upperclasswoman pulled out a set of clothes wrapped in plastic that she realized was a brand new Karate _gi_. "...I know Byakuya-kun's been getting on you for not having one yet, so..." Yoruichi said with a grin. For a moment all that Soi could do was stare at her friend, completely speechless.

"I...I can't take this!" Soi managed once she had overcome her astonishment. Gi were expensive, a fact that had prevented the petite girl from going to her father to ask for one. "I didn't want you to buy me one of these just because I can't afford it!" Yoruichi only feigned annoyance as she pushed the white uniform closer to her friend.

"This is NOT a handout, it's a gift--from a friend. I bought this for you because I WANTED to, not because I felt sorry for you. Look...I'd really appreciate it if you took this, Soi Fong." At first, Soi could only stare at Yoruichi, hardly able to believe that she would do something so thoughtful and act like it wasn't any sort of trouble. Then, after a few tentavive moments, she slowly took the _gi_ from the tall girl's hands.

"...Um...Thank you..." Soi managed with her head hung, desperate to hide the blush that was darkening on her visage against her will, not seeing the relieved smile on Yoruichi's face.

"Well, it's nice to see that even YOU can be reasonable sometimes," the mahogany-skinned girl said wryly as she turned in the other direction. "...See you tomorrow, Soi Fong. Oh, and if it's the wrong size, just give it back to me and I'll get it exchanged, okay?"

"O-okay..." the shy girl said in little more than a whisper as she waved goodbye to the other girl and headed towards her house, hardly able to believe what had just happened.

* * *

"Hey, Soi-chan! How was school?" 

"Oh, um...It was good..." Soi said in a daze as she walked into the house, barely noticing the burning smell that told her that her father was cooking again. "Uh...I'm gonna go upstairs and...get started on my homework..."

"Good for you," the middle-aged man called from the kitchen, sounding both proud and distracted by his meal at the same time. "Dinner, uh... dinner will be ready soon, okay?"

"...Okay..." Soi yelled back as she ran up the staircase, nearly forgetting to skip the fifth step but getting to her room with no trouble. Once there, she tossed her bookcase onto the bed and tore the plastic off the Karate uniform, spreading it out on thesoft comforter.

_...I guess I should try it on..._

She carefully slid the top half over her arms, then slipped on the baggy white 'pants'. As she dressed, she couldn't ignore a warm feeling, the source of which she couldn't define but she knew had something to do with the upperclassman who'd been kind enough to do something like this for her. No one had ever treated her like she was worthwhile outside of her father, not until Yoruichi had found her way into her life. It only made her happier when she realized that, by some impossible to fathom method, the _gi_ her best friend had bought her was a perfect fit.


	9. Portrait of A Slacker, or Uncertainty

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 9: Portrait of A Slacker (Uncertainty)

"Hey, look! There she is!"

"Wow! Does she really go to our school?"

"She looks like a supermodel..."

"Man, Yourichi-sama's sooo cool! You know that she's a black-belt in Karate?"

_Jeez, don't they have anything better to do besides fawn over an upperclassman?_

Soi Fong sighed to herself as she glanced over at the huddle of freshman peeking out the classroom window to get a glimpse of the dark-skinned Yoruichi. Soi had noticed that her friend would sometimes take to wandering the halls during lunch hour, and as such the people who didn't have the everyday opportunity of admiring 'The Goddess' (another nickname she had unknowingly aquired) took the opportunity to watch her walk by.

Soi could understand why so many people would look up to Yoruichi (after all, she had taken a few of those glances out the window herself), but the clamorous hounding still got on her nerves. For this reason more than any other, Yoruichi had decided to keep their friendship quiet-- she knew that Soi was uncomfortable around others, and the attention associated with being a friend of the great Yoruichi-sama might be a bit too much for her to deal with (Yoruichi had admitted to Soi that she found it annoying herself, but had gotten so used to it that she paid it little mind nowadays). So it came as a surprise to her when a few days after this visit to the freshman halls Yoruichi came into Class 1-B during lunch, which fortunately happened to be empty save for a certain bookworm who was so occupied with her Geometry homework that she didn't notice the upperclassman sneak up around her desk.

"...Okay... so the base of the triangle multiplied by..."

"WHAT'CHA DOIN', SOI FONG!" At the sudden awareness of a hand on her shoulder and a loud voice in her ear, Soi nearly jumped out of her desk in shock.

"AAH!...Oh, it's you...Damnit, don't scare me like that!" Soi said a little more calmly once she realized who was behind her. Yoruichi only gave her trademark cat-like grin.

"Hey, what are you doing in here alone? Come eat on the roof with me!" Soi blinked at Yoruichi's casual request. Did she actually want Soi to spend time with her during school?

"...Uh...Okay," the younger girl answered as she grabbed her neglected bento, "...But I'll need to work on my homework, too."

"Hey, you do what you need to," Yoruichi smiled as they left the room.

"Oh, no," the upperclassman groaned at the top step as she held the door open.

"Why? What is--"

"...Hey, Yoru-chan! Fancy seeing you up here!" Soi managed to peek around her friend to see Urahara sitting on the ledge of the rooftop, smiling from beneath the brim of his hat as he waved in their direction.

"...What the hell are you doing up here, Kisuke?"

"Um...I'm eating lunch, of course," the teen said with plenty of sarcasm while he swallowed a bite of his omelette. "Last time I checked, this wasn't a private vantage point..." Yoruichi sighed in defeat as she walked up to her friend and sat a few feet away from him.

"...Fine...Soi, come sit down," Yoruichi groaned as she opened up the fried noodle sandwich she'd purchased from the cafeteria.

"What's wrong with Urahara-san? I thought you two were friends..."

"Oh, we are," Urahara answered as he threw an arm around Yoruichi in a mock display of affection, which was recieved with a glare. "It's just that Yoru-chan likes the roof much better when I'm not here." Kisuke promply recieved a double-chop on the head for calling Yoruichi by 'chan' again while Soi set down her math book, paper and lunch down on the concrete beneath her feet, arranging herself so that she would be at least moderately comfortable.

"Hey, you don't have to do it there," Yoruichi said once she noticed the freshman's choice of working environment, then patted an open space beside herself. "Come sit over here."

"Uhh... No thanks, I'm more comfortable on the ground anyway," Soi managed as she fought off the blush that had spontaneously appeared at Yoruichi's request. The upperclassman huffed slightly and rolled her eyes, then returned her attention to the meal at hand.

_Damnit, what the hell's wrong with me?_

It seemed like ever since she'd gotten that _gi_ from Yoruichi, Soi had begun to feel different around her friend. Not a bad sort of different, just...awkward, and it only seemed to happen whenever Yoruichi smiled in her direction or when they were spending time together. Soi almost wished that this strange feeling would go away, but at the same time was beginning to like it-- she'd never really had a friend before, so maybe it was just part of the way that her subconscious showed that she really cared about Yoruichi's companionship. She shrugged off her sentimental train of thought as she took a bite of her potato croquette and glared at the insoluble equation before her.

"AAGH!" she finally groaned as she flipped back and forth between the math textbook's answer section and the problems, catching Yoruichi and Kisuke's attention. "...How the hell am I supposed to get this answer!"

"Umm...do you need help?" Yoruichi asked tentatively. The freshman sighed, then after a few moments shook her head.

"No...I need to figure these out on my own."

"Well, sometimes you just need a push in the right direction. Here, let me look at that." It took Soi a moment to realize that the one who'd just spoken was Urahara, and sure enough he had his free hand held out to her while his other was occupied with his soda can.

"Uhh..." Soi felt a little hesitant about entrusting her academics to, as Yoruichi had put it, 'a two-year ronin,' but on the other hand it might be funny to watch him struggle with these difficult problems. "...Are you sure? They're really hard..." Soi asked, struggling to hold back a taunting laugh.

"Of course I'm sure-- besides, like I wanna hear any more of your groaning while I'm eating," the hat-wearing teen added with a teasing grin, which earned him a roll of the eyes and the exasperated muttering of his name by Yoruichi. After a few seconds of dejected silence, Yoruichi finally relented, handing the textbook to Urahara after lightly circling the offending question with her pencil.

"...It's number 19," she said as she grabbed her drinkbox and took a sip, watching as Kisuke stared quietly at the book.

_Heh. I bet he doesn't even know what to do..._

"Ahh...This stuff's not too tough," Urahara muttered as he suddenly began scribbling on the book, and before Soi could tell him off for doing so he handed it back to her.

"Well, giving up alread--" she began, but as she stared at the numbers haphazardly arranged on the text she suddenly realized something. "Th-this is right! How the--" She triple-checked the answers in the back before finally admitting that Urahara was absolutely correct. "B-b-but how could YOU..."

"Easy," Urahara said casually, keeping any sort of condescension from creeping into his voice but sounding all the more stuck-up for it regardless. "You just have to remember that you have to find the height of the triangle before multiplying it by the base-- your perimeter's aren't involved in this; that's what kept throwing you off."

"B-but..." Soi racked her brain, desperate for some way to prove that Urahara really was an idiot and that her mind was playing tricks on her. "...But if this is so easy, then what are you still doing here! I thought you failed the Center Exam twice!"

"Well, technically I couldn't have FAILED the college exam," the unshaven blonde considered with a smirk, "...If I never took it in the first place."

"...Huh?"

"Oh, for God's sake..." Yoruichi sighed at her best friend and turned to Soi Fong. "You see, it's like this: Remember when he told that story at your dad's about how he slept through his exam?"

"...Yeah..." Soi agreed, not entirely certain of where this was going but not jumping to any conclusions.

"Well, Kisuke's always been smart--hell, even I might have to admit that he's practically at genius level. To counterbalance this," Yoruichi gave Urahara an exasperated glare, "...for as long as I've known him, he's been lazy as sin. Not ONLY did he sleep through his first College Exam, but he slacked off in all his classes at the very end of the year, and he couldn't graduate. And thusly..." she gave a facetious twirl of the wrist as though she was presenting someone of great importance, "...one year and the exact same pattern later, we have the 19-year-old loser you see before you."

"Jeez..." Urahara said with a pout, "...Why do you always have to say such mean things, Yoru-chan?" He cringed as he waited for Yoruichi to smack him again, but all she did was stare expectantly at him.

"What? Instead of being worried about ME...why don't you see if you can give Soi Fong a hand?"

"No...It's okay, really, I can do it myself," Soi interjected, not wanting to accept help from Urahara regardless of how intelligent he may be.

"...Are you--"

"I'M FINE, DAMNIT!" Soi yelled in frustration, which made Urahara jump and Yoruichi snicker at his reaction.

"All right, all right..." the blonde said as he took off his hat and played with it in his hands, "...I'll just be here if you get stuck again." The freshman's face turned sour at the self-confident aura the young man was projecting, then stubbornly turned back to her homework. She didn't notice Yoruichi lean forward on her seat with an expectant grin on her face.

_This oughta be good..._

It only took a few silent minutes for Soi to hand the text back to Urahara, mumbling something about being stuck on problem 20 with a none-too-happy expression on her face.

* * *

"...It wasn't that funny!" Soi growled defensively at Yoruichi as the trio headed down the stairs from the roof, empty lunch containers in their hands.

"I dunno, it was pretty good watching you swallow your pride like that," the athletic girl remarked as she playfully took a jab at Soi's arm, which the younger girl instinctively blocked with her wrist.

"Hey, good one! And nice form, too!" Urahara said with the closest thing to an impressed voice Soi had ever heard from him.

"Yeah, what'd I tell ya?" Yoruichi grinned as she ruffled her shorter friend's hair, which instantly dispelled any thoughts of annoyance Soi may have had towards Yoruichi. "She's got plenty of potential!" Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, Soi turned toward Urahara, attempting to shake off the strange feeling that had returned unannounced.

"Urahara-san--"

"Don't call him 'san,' Soi Fong," Yoruichi said with a deadpan stare at Kisuke. "...You'll only spoil him."

"...Um...Urahara-san," Soi continued to Yoruichi's slight annoyance, "Were you ever in any clubs?" It had intrigued her that the delinquent had noticed her block; he didn't seem like the kind to pay attention to the little things after all.

"Well, not Karate," Kisuke admitted as he adjusted his hat for no reason other than to occupy his hands, "...But I was Captain of the Kendo team in my Junior year."

"R-Really? Captain?" This seemed even more unlikely than his secretly being intelligent. Now, while Soi still thought Yoruichi's best friend to be a little odd, she had to admit that he was at least interesting.

"Oh, yeah," Yoruichi added with a thoughtful expression. "Went all the way to Championships, even. However..."

"Let me guess," Soi conjectured. "...He got kicked off because he was failing?"

"Nope," the tall girl answered. "They caught him and a bunch of other guys eating 'special brownies' behind the school." For a moment Soi could only stare bug-eyed in disbelief, but then she burst out laughing.

"Y-you're KIDDING! And he did it BEHIND the school!" Urahara didn't seem ashamed though, he merely shrugged his shoulders at the two girls.

"Hey, I was high. Not gonna say it was a GOOD idea, but damn, those WERE some good browni--"

"All right, Soi," Yoruichi interrupted before Urahara had a chance to utterly corrupt the freshman with a discourse on the wonders of hallucinogenic sweets, "Here's your classroom. We'll see you later, okay?" She gave Soi a wave before grabbing Kisuke by the ear and pulling him along with her down the nearest hallway. Soi entered her homeroom to see that a gaggle of females seated near the door were staring at her with a strange look of anticipation on their faces. She didn't pay it any mind at first, since many people tended to do this right before lunch ended so that they could catch their friends and have a few quick words prior to the beginning of class. She did mind, however, once she got back to her seat and noticed that they were still looking at her, some of whom were twisted in their seats to get a better look at the Chinese girl. Soi's instincts told her to just ignore it, the way she always had whenever she felt uncomfortable in a social situation, but something (perhaps a bit of Yoruichi's influence rubbing off onto her) made her finally turn away from the window she was staring out of and speak up.

"...What is it?" A few of the girls blinked; they'd never heard Soi Fong speak unless it had something to do with a lesson, after all. "Well? I don't appreciate being looked at as if I were on display." Finally, one of the girls, one who wore her light-brown hair short at the collar, stood up from her desk and walked over to the class bookworm.

_The 'alpha-male,'_ Soi thought with a wry grin as she recalled what she'd learned about how a pack of wild dogs functioned. When the girl spoke, though, she didn't seem like the dominating type at all--perhaps she just happened to be the girl who'd had enough confidence to speak on behalf of her friends.

"...Are you friends with Yoruichi-sama?" The long-braided girl blinked in surprise at the question, ultimately wondering more how this stranger had found out. The girl seemed to have anticipated Soi's astonishment, because a moment later she jerked her thumb in the direction of the door. "I--that is, we--saw you and her talking, um...out in the hallway."

_Definitely not the dominating type,_ the petite girl thought as she carefully watched her classmate's body language, which seemed to scream out anxiety.

"...Well--" she began, but the brunette cut her off.

"So it's true, then? But...but how did you get to meet her? She never talks to freshman!" Soi's eyes shifted around nervously. She didn't want to relate how she had encountered Yoruichi, especially to people she didn't even know. When the dark-haired girl didn't answer, the brunette looked sheepishly at the ground as she continued. "...Um...we were wondering...since you know Yoruichi-sama...c-could you get us a picture of her?" Before Soi could even process the request, the girl held out a small digital camera as if urging her to take it. "...We'll pay you for it, too...j-just a portrait or something..."

_...These must be some of Yoruichi's 'fans.'_ While Soi did feel a bit sorry for the girl and her friends for the almost cute way they were admiring Yoruichi, at the same time she couldn't do something so voyeuristic to her friend.

"...Sorry." The girl blinked at Soi Fong's sudden response, uncertain that she had heard properly.

"W-what! But why not? Y-Yoruichi-sama lets other people take pictures with her!"

"If you want one so much, you should ask her yourself," the Chinese girl stated as passively as she could, trying to be both gentle and stern at the same time but coming off as more than a bit rude in the brunette's eyes. "Carrying around a picture of someone you don't know just seems creepy to me."

"B-but how am I supposed to--"

"Maybe if you'd try seeing her as a regular person..." Soi said with growing irritation as she turned to look the girl square in the eye, "...Then you'd find she's not that hard to talk to." The two girls stared at each other for a moment before the brunette who'd approached Soi suddenly lowered her head, a morose expression on her face.

_...Did I make her cry?_

Without warning, the girl looked back up; there were no tears staining her cheeks but she was glaring daggers at Soi Fong.

"...Fine! I don't know why I bothered to ask a nerd like you anyway!" She stomped off to her friends while Soi let out a groan of frustration. She wondered if she'd have to deal with this for the entire year as she turned her attention back to the overcast sky outside, her mind drifting along with the clouds when she overheard the clique talking amongst themselves.

"Hey, it's okay..."

"Yeah. Maybe we can catch Yoruichi-sama on the way out of school..."

"I-I just can't believe her! It's not like I was asking for a lock of hair or something!" the brunette's voice drifted its way to Soi Fong, who wasn't eavesdropping so much as forced to listen. She almost wondered if they were doing this on purpose, in a feeble attempt to guilt-trip her into acquiescing to their request.

"Forget her," another girl interjected, obviously referring to Soi. "She's just a stupid bitch anyway."

"Yeah, what's with her? She always acts like she's got something up her ass--I'll bet she doesn't have any friends."

"Well, of course when you're that poor you don't even bother. You know I heard that her dad works pro bono cases? Doesn't wanna 'put money before morals' and all that bullshit..." While any other girl would have been in hysterical tears from the vicious rhetorical assault of her peers, Soi only sighed lightly onto the windowsill. She'd heard worse than this before, and all she felt was a passing annoyance that the other girls couldn't think outside the insult box.

"...Jeez...Why the hell does Yoruichi-sama even waste her time on that goddamn bitch?"

"Easy-- If I met someone that pathetic I'd feel sorry for them, too."

"I don't know about that...If I had to spend even five minutes with her, you could just kill me right then and there!" The girls shared a spiteful laugh that echoed in the nearly empty room. By now people were starting to drift in, paying no mind to the chatting cluster of females and taking their seats. As such, they spoke in lower tones, but no matter how low they were the nearby Soi Fong picked up every word.

"Seriously, she's lucky that Yoruichi-sama's putting up with her. I'll bet she thinks they're best friends or something!"

"Yeah--like Yoruichi-sama would ever be friends with someone as worthless as her. She's probably just keeping her company so that she doesn't kill herself."

"And then when she gets tired of dealing with her, then that'll be that."

"I'd be surprised if Yoruichi-sama would even remember her after summer break!" Before the harpies could continue their discourse, the bell rang and they scattered to their respective seats as the last remainers of the class ran in and quickly got settled. Just as the teacher walked in and alerted the class to settle down, Soi snapped out of her reverie, pretending to give the lesson her full attention but in reality pondering whether or not what the other girls had said about Yoruichi could be true.

_Come on, Soi,_ she berated herself, shaking the thought violently from her head. _You know her better than that._

But did she really? Just what did Soi know about her savior other than that she had been around her almost constantly for the last month or so?

_...Have I just been...fooling myself? Is she just humoring me?_

She'd been so certain ten minutes ago that Yoruichi genuinely cared about her, that they really WERE friends, but in an instant all her certainty had been swept away by a few choice words. She knew that she was just letting the girls get to her, but now the idea that Yoruichi's friendship was merely a facade hurt worse than any blow she'd recieved or any teasing she'd ever endured.

A/N: Well, that's the longest update yet--I hope I'm not making this emo or anything like that, I just kind of think that they need a little bit of conflict--a bump in the road, if you will. I'm going to try to update a few more times before I leave for summer break--I don't have the internet at home, so I don't know if I'll be able to add more over the summer. When I get back to school, however, I'll try to have some more chaps done.


	10. Bee Sting

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 10: Bee Sting

With school over, Yoruichi grabbed her books and slammed her locker shut, then headed down the stairs to the first floor. As she rounded the stairwell, she occasionally noticed the unabashed stares of her fellow students, some of whom went into fits of giggles at her passing. Once she reached her destination it only took her a few moments to identify her young friend, who was slowly walking towards the exit.

"Hey, Soi Fong!" she called jovially, and the shorter girl turned her head slightly to acknowledge her presence.

"...Hi, Yoruichi-san." The athletic girl's smile faded just a bit, almost imperceptibly, at the preoccupied look on Soi's face. She smiled, but it somehow seemed as if she was forcing herself. Yoruichi felt a slight pang of worry, but she dismissed it as paranoia.

"Hey, uh...How were classes? Did you manage to get that math homework done?"

"Oh...School was fine," Soi answered half-heartedly as Yoruichi got in step with her and they walked out the door and into the bright sunlight. "...I, uh...think I may still need to review that geometry stuff, though."

"Oh, not gonna beg Kisuke for help?" she teased with a grin, but Soi didn't answer. "...Hey, something up?"

"...Huh?" Soi muttered as she blinked up at Yoruichi, who was looking at her with a curious expression. "N-no, I'm fine...why do you ask?"

"...No reason," Yoruichi shrugged, turning her attention back to the sidewalk, saying nothing until they reached the corner of the street a few minutes later. "Well, take care, all right?" she said with a smile at Soi.

"Sure. You too," the Chinese girl said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm as she walked in the direction of her house. Yoruichi took a last look at Soi over her shoulder, then headed down the other end of the street toward her own home.

* * *

Soi gazed at the textbook she was supposed to be reviewing for Japanese History class, but after realizing that she had read the same line over three times she tossed the book aside with a huff. Against her will, her troubled mind wandered to the way Yoruichi had been acting after school-- the way she'd immediately asked how she was doing when she suspected something was wrong, her habit of staying nearby on practically a daily basis...

_...She _is_ just pitying me._

The girl nearly laughed at herself as she slid out of her chair and onto the floor. She'd been solitary for practically her entire academic life, had been completely at ease with her social status as one of the 'lone wolves,' but had clung to the first inkling of kindness she had recieved without questioning it.

_I should have known better than to believe it,_ she groaned as she considered her own folly. Was she really so lonely that Yoruichi's attention had been twisted into actual compassion by a desperate mind?

_No,_ she thought as her eyes narrowed. _I don't need pity. I don't need someone like her as a 'friend' if all she sees me as is a little pet. I never needed friends before. I sure as hell don't need them now._

Even so, the freshman could not help but feel saddened by her new impression of Yoruichi's character.

Yoruichi hadn't given it much thought when Soi had walked away a week ago, dismissing her behavior as fatigue. Now, however, she was beginning to worry. She hadn't seen Soi face-to-face since then; the Chinese girl seemed to disappear whenever Yoruichi noticed her in the halls and became deaf whenever she tried to get her attention. What bothered her most was not necessarily her suspicion that something was upsetting her friend, but that she was so concerned about Soi Fong in the first place. It wasn't that she hadn't felt a filial sort of affection for the younger girl, it was just that when she got home her thoughts didn't linger on anything but the present. Yoruichi wasn't sure why Soi being morose affected her at all, but she had resolved to find some way or other of discovering what was wrong. At least then she would be able to forget about it.

* * *

Soi took her time once she had finished her shower in the locker rooms, saying goodbye to her fellow karate students as they left through the swinging wooden door dressed in casual short sleeves and pants to provide comfort against the humidity reigning outside the gym. After wringing the water out of her still-damp sheet of long hair, she carefully set about the task of twisting it into two long strands, finally tying each end around a slender metal hoop. She'd been doing this since her mother had done it on a whim to celebrate her first day of middle school, and she had continued the hairstyle every day since to the point where it had almost become relaxing. It didn't help much with her current state of worry, though. It had been hard coming to Karate for the past few meetings, as she saw Yoruichi regularly there and of course they had their short practices afterwards. But Soi had found that by letting herself be angry at the upperclassman as opposed to nervous had made it much easier to ignore her, and she'd gotten out of their short lessons together by being one of the first to shower and thus leave earlier than her peers.

Fate, however, seemed to have other plans today. Soi had ended up at the back of the line due to others sitting closer to the showers, and one of the first had been Yoruichi. She would be out long before Soi, which meant that if she went as slowly as she could, then perhaps Yoruichi would get tired of waiting for her and would go home. Once she had sufficently arranged her twin braids, Soi grabbed her clothes (the gi, which had meant quite a bit to her before, she considered tossing in the garbage on her way out before her frugal inclinations got the better of her) and carefully opened the door just enough to peek out.

_Good, she's not here,_ Soi assessed from her brief glimpse of a small portion of the gym, then opened the bathroom door and walked straight for the exit.

Unfortunately, the door opened of its own accord, revealing none other than the Shihouin girl standing just beyond the threshold.

"There you are, I was just looking for you!" Soi found herself unable to speak, knowing that she was trapped and that Yoruichi had probably intended that to be the case. "...Come on, let's get some practice in." With no remaining options, Soi nodded, keeping her face as neutral as she could.

* * *

There was not a word spoken between them as they went through a handful of basic attack patterns. They rarely talked during their training sessions anyway, but the silence today only made Yoruichi more anxious. She had hoped that Soi might open up about her anxieties-- she did not feel comfortable about directly asking the younger girl, but she would listen if she felt the need to speak.

"Hey, good job," the upperclassman said with a smile, finally breaking the stillness. "...How about a little sparring?" Soi didn't answer, she merely positioned herself so that she was facing the other girl, then made a short, half-hearted bow to indicate respect for one's opponent. When Yoruichi finished her own bow, she was still smiling, and the sight of that perpetually jovial face stirred an anger inside Soi that she had been trying to restrain for the whole week.

_Why is she even bothering to do this? Is she so cruel that she's still pretending that I'm her friend?_

After shifting her feet into an attack stance, Yoruichi took a step forward and aimed a punch at Soi's chest, which she blocked with a sweeping motion and brought it back in time to stop a sidekick headed for her solarplexus.

"Good one!" Yoruichi said encouragingly as she stepped back. "But you aren't attacking. If you don't you're just gonna get beaten--"

"...Why are you doing this?" The dark-skinned girl blinked as Soi spoke to her for the first time in seven days. The freshman's eyes were hidden behind her bangs as she stared at the ground and one of her hands was clenched into a fist. Before Yoruichi could answer, Soi ran at her and threw a punch straight at the upperclassman's face with surprising speed. Yoruichi was still faster, however, and blocked by pushing the hand away moments before it made contact. Soi staggered for a moment from her own inertia, then swiftly brought her leg up in a roundhouse kick that her opponent dodged by leaning backwards. "Is this just a laugh for you!"

"What are y--" Soi didn't give Yoruichi a chance to finish as she threw a flurry of blows at the taller girl, one of which finally resulted in the sound of air being knocked out of her lungs. In spite of Soi's obvious state of distress, Yoruichi couldn't help but be a little impressed--no one had managed to so much as touch her for the last three years on the karate mat. Meanwhile, Soi was only getting more and more frustrated with every attack that didn't land, with every fruitless bit of exertion that Yoruichi blocked and evaded. The older girl's composure and her maintenance of a defensive posture sent the message that this was all just practice to her, that she didn't consider the petite and shy Soi Fong of being capable of hurting anyone. Finally Yoruichi managed to catch a frenzied uppercut, and with a strong grip restrained Soi's arm.

"Let go of me, goddamnit!" Soi yelled hysterically, her normally peaceful eyes burning with anger, with the desire to hurt Yoruichi no matter how desperate her attempts became. Yoruichi's face was not plastered with her normal carefree grin, but rather a neutral serenity that contrasted greatly with her agitated friend.

"No. What's wrong with you, Soi?" Yoruichi didn't realize that she'd just broken her own unwritten rule about not prying into the business of others, but she needed to know what could have made Soi angry enough to attack her out of the blue.

"Why does it matter to you! Do you think that I NEED someone like you to look after me? Or is it just because I don't have any friends? Did you think that I'd get depressed and kill myself if I was left on my own!" The upperclassman's eyes widened slightly in comprehension, but other than that there was no change in her expression as she continued to hold onto Soi's wriggling arm.

"...Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

"It's true, isn't it! You probably think you're doing me some big favor by pretending to like me, don't you! Well, I don't need you to fight my battles for me, I don't need you to protect me and I sure as hell don't need your goddamn pity! I don't need friends and I never will, so why don't you just GO THE HELL AWAY!" With a single yank that took all her might, Soi broke free of Yoruichi's grip and sent her fist flying again, only to have the black belt catch her again. This time, Yoruichi didn't content herself with just stopping Soi's attack; she shifted herself so that she was behind the younger girl and restrained her in a full-nelson. For a few minutes Soi struggled against the much stronger upperclassman, screaming curses and demanding to be released, even trying to kick backwards but Yoruichi used her movement to pin her to the ground. Finally, with an acquiescent sigh, the freshman's slight muscles relaxed, and sensing that there was no more fight left in her, Yoruichi released her and tumbled over so that she was lying on her back. Neither said a word or made a sound, save for irregular attempts to slow their own breathing. Once Yoruichi had recovered from the surprisingly difficult task of holding her protege in place, she sat up, leaning her arm against a raised knee and staring at the plain wall on the building's far side.

"...Why did you do it?" The upperclassman didn't turn at the sound of Soi's voice, slightly muffled by the plastic she was still lying face-down on. That was all she said, but somehow Yoruichi knew what she was really asking. The only problem was that she couldn't really answer. Why had she stayed around Soi Fong all this time?

She had to admit that the freshman had been partly right-- at first, she had felt sorry for Soi and for her poverty, that she was picked on by a callous jerk and that she didn't seem to care that she was a social outcast. Sometime in between then and now--she wasn't sure exactly when-- but she had actually begun to enjoy the other girl's company. It was refreshing to be around another person who had no interest in her social status, one who had actually refused her company when anyone else would have died from ecstacy. It was a casual freedom that she had only really felt around Kisuke at first, and somehow seemed to have been transferred to Soi as well, the last person she had ever expected to meet in her life had it not been for walking on that bridge on that particular evening. The truth was, she was glad that she had met her, as glad as she had been when Kisuke had helped her so many years ago, but like with her oldest friend, Yoruichi lacked the ability to put her sentimental feelings into words--it was just the way she had always been. Perhaps that was why she filed away her current thoughts and said something that conveyed far less emotional attachment than she really felt.

"Soi... I don't care if you think I'm pitying you or not. If you want to believe that, then you go on ahead. But I'm only going to tell you this once: I don't get along with people who I feel sorry for, or who I don't like being around." The younger girl quietly considered Yoruichi's words before realizing that they were true. Judging simply by what she had seen of her interactions with Urahara, she wouldn't be friends with someone she didn't care about. Yoruichi had spent all this time with her because she had wanted to. The anger she had felt evaporated in an instant, replaced by self-loathing. How could she have misjudged Yoruichi like that?

"...I...I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sama," Soi managed as she picked herself up slightly, eyes still fixed to the floor. Yoruichi let out a small sigh of relief, glad that her friend was back to herself again.

"Soi Fong..." Yoruichi said with a look of false exasperation, her good humor quickly returning, "...You don't need to apologize around me. As far as I'm concerned, you've done nothing worth being sorry over." She stood up and walked over to where Soi was, then extended her hand much like she had when they had first met. "Here--can you stand?" Soi looked at Yoruichi for a long while before she finally accepted the hand and used it to pull herself up.

"...Um..." Soi began as she looked anywhere but directly at Yoruichi, "...We should go home, it's getting late."

"Ahh, well said," Yoruichi responded with a grin as she ruffled Soi's hair, making the girl sheepishly turn red and look away again. "Plus," the upperclassman continued, not noticing her friend's reaction, "...I should get some ice on that bruise you just gave me." Soi instantly prepared to apologize but upon seeing that Yoruichi was still smiling stopped herself, remembering what the older girl had told her just a moment ago.

"...Does it hurt?" She asked instead, her voice sounding as if she was afraid to say the wrong thing.

"Well, let's just say that I think I have an idea of how Ichimaru felt when you belted him." At that, Soi's sober expression finally melted into a small laugh.

A strong Soi was all well and good, but Yoruichi had toadmit she liked her this way alot more.


	11. Rain: The Cat's Natural Enemy

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 11: Rain--The Cat's Natural Enemy

It had only started to sprinkle a little, but even so Yoruichi ran for the school entrance, leaving behind the much slower Urahara in her wake. She could tell just from the sky that it was going to rain today and rain hard-- the last few days had been gradually darker and cloudier, not to mention the distinct fragrance of lightning on the air was a dead giveaway to the athletic upperclassman.

"D...damnit...Yoru-chan...wh...why do you...always have to...do that?" Yoruichi turned at the sound of Kisuke's voice and prepared to punish him for using her nickname, but seeing that since he was doubled over and clutching a stitch in his chest from trying to keep up with her, decided to take mercy on him for once. "I...can't believe that you STILL haven't gotten over this. How many years has it been, already?"

"Hey, if you're gonna get bitchy I don't have a problem with kicking your ass," the tall girl said with a teasing grin, but Urahara recoiled all the same.

"H-hi, Yoruichi-san, Urahara-san!" The duo smiled at Soi Fong as she walked up, and Yoruichi felt a slight leap that she dismissed as simply being glad to see her friend. It had been a few days since the ugliness that had transpired in the gym, and by now things had returned to normal between them. Even though it had ultimately been little more than a misunderstanding, Yoruichi still felt glad that Soi trusted her again.

"Hi, Soi Fong!"

"Hey, shrimp! How're you doing?" Soi frowned slightly at Urahara's greeting, but shrugged it off when Yoruichi assured her that he was just being stupid.

"Oh, I'm all right. I'm just glad that it didn't start raining before I got here-- I probably would've gotten soaked."

"Well, I hope you at least brought an umbrella," Urahara said as he looked in Yoruichi's direction with a wry grin, "...Because it's supposed to pour ALL DAY TODAY." Soi gave him a curious look before turning to Yoruichi to see that she had a very agitated expression on her face.

"...Yoruichi-san? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, uh...nothing," Yoruichi answered quickly, haphazardly throwing a smile on in the hope of avoiding having to answer. Soi was willing to grant her friend the privacy she desired until Urahara spoke up.

"Oh, you mean that Yoruichi hasn't told y--"

"Shut UP, Kisuke!" the upperclasswoman growled, an uncharacteristic amount of urgency in her voice.

"You see, Soi-chan," Urahara continued, the placing of the freshman between him and his female companion giving him confidence to proceed, "Yoruichi has a very intriguing phobi--"

"I told you to SHUT UP, DAMNIT!" Yoruichi said in a snarl, trying to get at Kisuke to silence him, but he managed to slip through her fingers like water.

"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of, Yoruichi--I'm sure that a lot of 18-year olds are afraid of rainstorms." The secret out, Yoruichi sighed in defeat, her face turning red as she turned away to look at the wall. For a moment, Soi could only stare at the back of her friend's head, unable to process that the invincible Yoruichi could possibly have any sort of insecurities.

"Um," the petite girl started cautiously, "...Is that tru--"

"Look, I'm not AFRAID of them," The upperclassman grumbled as she continued walking, too embarrassed to look either of them in the face. "...I just don't like rain, is all."

"...Don't forget thunder, too," Urahara quipped with a smile still on his unshaven mug. "I remember that she wouldn't come on this one class trip because she was afraid that the plane would get hit by lightni--"

"THAT WAS THREE YEARS AGO, YOU DAMN IDIOT!" Yoruichi shot back, then whacked Kisuke so hard on the head that he actually stumbled over, a reaction that in turn made Soi suppress a chuckle.

* * *

"Now then," Rukia called to the rest of the beginners as they finished their warm-ups and were seated on the floor, "...Kichiki-sensei has decided that the first opportunity you rookies'll have to test for Yellow belt is going to be this Friday at 5:00." After allowing the greenhorns a few moments of excited chatter, the diminuitive Brown-belt raised her hand to signal for silence. "Now, I'd like to remind all of you that you'll only have a couple chances to do this in a group setting: the time on Friday and then on Saturday at 9:00. After that, then you'll have to ask one of the Black belts to give you a personal test. And trust me--they'll all be much more critical of you if you're being tested one-on-one. In either case, I trust that most of you--" she took an opportunity to glare accusingly at Keigo, who was too busy daydreaming to notice, "...will do well enough to make me proud. You've been doing this for a quite a while now, so don't let your efforts go to waste. Is that understood?" The students all gave a nod in the affirmative, which satisfied Rukia greatly. "All right-- let's go over the basics, then."

* * *

"So...Are you looking forward to Friday?" Yoruichi asked Soi as they left the locker room an hour later. 

"Oh, uh...well, I guess..." the freshman answered casually, but in truth she was literally counting the days until she could take the test. It had been a long time since Soi had felt a real sense of accomplishment as far as athletics were concerned, and the idea of acquiring something to show for her efforts excited the young girl. She'd even been practicing a little at home, though in truth she did a lot better when Yoruichi went over the routines with her.

"Aw, damnit," the senior muttered to herself when they opened the gym door to see that the rain was still coming down in heavy waves. "I was hoping it would've let up some, but..." After a few moments of indecision, Yoruichi sighed and pulled a collapsible red umbrella out of her bookbag, snapping it open with a click as she stepped outside, followed quickly by Soi as she opened up a much older one with a plain black covering. The freshman nearly yelped as the wind threatened to yank the portable shield out of her hands, only succeeding in keeping a hold on it thanks to a quick reflex. "Hey, you doin' all right?" Yoruichi called back, looking over her shoulder at Soi Fong.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine!" Soi answered as she ran to keep pace with her friend. They proceeded quietly to the street corner, speaking only to say their goodbyes and turn away from each other. Yoruichi didn't give the freshman a second thought until she heard a snapping sound behind her followed by "Oh, damnit!" Upon turning around, she saw Soi running in the street, chasing after what looked like the wind-wrecked remains of a black umbrella. After a few minutes in which she was completely soaked to the bone, Soi gave an angry huff and abandoned the attempt to catch her now-useless weather shield, then to Yoruichi's bewilderment continued on her way home. Yoruichi stared at her forlorn companion for a few minutes before she started running in Soi's direction.

_Damnit..._

Soi walked at a steady pace as the merciless elements continued to beat down on her, knowing that her house was too far away to bother with running. She silently cursed the wind that had carried her umbrella away, but not as much as the cold rain that was making her shiver so badly that she clutched her own shoulders in an attempt to keep warm. She was so focused on how miserable she was that she barely noticed Yoruichi until she felt a strong hand grab her by the shoulder and into the shelter of a red umbrella.

"Y-Yoruichi-san?" The freshman asked in surprise to the last person she expected to be here right now. "What are you--"

"...Now you didn't think that I would let you walk all the way home in this crappy weather like that, did you?" The older girl asked with a smile. "Here, try and stay under the umbrella--you'll get sick if you get any wetter." Soi began to protest, but when she noticed that Yoruichi's arm was still wrapped around her in an effort to keep her from falling outside the the circumference of the umbrella, she felt any complaints she could have had leave her. Instead, she quietly allowed Yoruichi to shelter her, gradually becoming aware of just how warm the other girl was.

* * *

"Well, here we are," Yoruichi said after a little while (even though it had been over 25 minutes, it seemed too short to Soi) when they arrived on the freshman's doorstep. 

"Uh...Thanks for walking me home," Soi blushed, suddenly aware of how what she'd just said made it sound like they'd been on a date, a concept that she felt oddly confused over.

"Hey, no problem. Won't do you any good to get sick for your test, would you?" The younger girl gave agreed with a nod of her head, then turned around to go inside when Yoruichi pulled on her sleeve. "Oh, and here, take this--I hear it's supposed to rain again tomorrow." Soi blinked at Yoruichi's umbrella, handed out to her and packed into its original form. Before she could even refuse to the object, Yoruichi shoved it into her hand with a mischevious grin and dashed off, knowing that if she lingered then Soi would just try to give it back to her. For a few minutes Soi just stood on the somewhat dry step, watching as her friend became a very wet speck in the distance, then felt a smile creep onto her lips as she turned and went inside. Maybe the rain wasn't such a bad thing after all...

* * *

This time it was Soi's turn to worry. As she sat in class on Friday, she couldn't help but think about where Yoruichi was. She hadn't seen her the day after the big rainstorm, which had been on Tuesday, and had been conspicuously absent from classes for the rest of the week. She hadn't had a chance to ask Urahara about it, since he seemed to be either working or skipping class these days. 

_...Did something happen to her?_

She knew that Yoruichi was more than capable of taking care of herself, but all the same she couldn't help but feel uneasy. On top of that, she would have felt better about the impending Karate test if her friend had been there.

_Well, I guess I'll just have to go ahead and try..._

Soi was heading for the exit when she heard a voice calling her name.

"Hey, Soi Fong! Wait up!" The Chinese girl looked down the hall to see a very recognizable redhead dashing towards her, coming to a stop a few feet away.

"...Matsumoto-san?" the freshman asked, unable to conceal the surprise in her voice. It was one thing for Yoruichi to look for her, but for someone she barely knew like Rangiku to seek the petite girl out seemed quite out of the ordinary. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, good, I'm glad I found you! You're Yoruichi-san's friend, right?"

"W-well, yeah..." Soi answered uncertainly, her gut telling her that Rangiku was looking for a favor.

"Finally!" the well-endowed woman breathed a sigh of relief as she handed a two-inch thick stack of papers to Soi Fong, who took them with wide eyes. "I was getting really desperate; I'm so glad I ran into you!"

"Hey, wait! What the hell is all thi--" Soi began but Matsumoto hurriedly interrupted her.

"I'm really sorry to do this, but I'm in Yoruichi's homeroom class, see, and the teacher asked me to give these to her since she's been absent but I don't know where she lives and I haven't been able to find anyone who knows where her house is and so if you could give these to her then I'd really appreciate it!" Soi blinked, uncertain she had understood anything the senior had said to her; she was speaking at a mile a minute and her brain was struggling to catch up.

"H-hold on a minute! What makes you think that I know where she--"

"Oh, sorry!" Rangiku said distractedly as she glanced at her watch. "...But I really need to get going! Sorry about this; I'll make it up to you I swear!"

"But I--" Soi started to argue, but Matsumoto had already ran down the hallway and out the exit, rushing to wherever it was that she needed to be so quickly. The freshman stared at the ream of missives and homework that had, as of now, been passed down to her.

"...How the hell am I supposed to know where she lives?" Deciding that sitting here wasting time would get her nowhere, she gave a sigh and decided to start by asking the records office.


	12. Role Reversal

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 12: Role Reversal

_...Is this really the place?_

Soi blinked at the address scribbled onto a tiny slip of paper, hardly believing that this could possibly be the location she spent half an hour waiting to get from the abrasive school secretary.

_I mean, I heard she was rich, but still...!_

The freshman wasn't sure what she had expected of Yoruichi's home--now that she thought about it, the upperclassman had never once brought it up in conversation-- but she hadn't expected it to be nearly this nice. Set in one of the town's more expensive neighborhoods (the house was only about a ten-minute's walk from the school) and with its intimidating size and wide lawn, it seemed more like a small castle than a place people would actually be allowed to live in. As she slowly approached the glossy wooden front door, she silently took in the elaborately carved wood trim and the even, trimmed hedges, not feeling envious so much as overwhelmed by the upscale life her friend led, or at least seemed to lead as opposed to the Yoruichi she knew at school.

Not seeing a doorbell, Soi grabbed the brass knocker attached to the front door and pounded on it three times. Soi waited for a few minutes as she glanced nervously at her watch, which flashed 4:23 at her in red.

_Okay, I've just gotta get these papers to her and head out. I should still have plenty of time to change into my _gi_ if I hurry..._

"Um, Yoruichi-san? Are you here?" When no one answered, Soi experimentally pushed on the handle and to her surprise the door gave way.

_That's wierd..._ Did Yoruichi feel secure enough that she didn't lock her door even when she wasn't home? Ignoring this absurd thought with a shake of the head, Soi slipped her shoes off on the concrete front step, then walked inside and nearly gasped.

If she had thought the exterior was nice, the inside of the house left her speechless. The front door connected to a tile-floored atrium, painted a warm shade of peach that led into a living room spacious enough to hold at least three-quarters of her house inside it. She stepped on the carpeted floor cautiously, but soon began to enjoy how comfortable the deep shag felt on her bare feet. She was in the middle of admiring the silver-framed art prints arranged along the spackled wall when a deep, nasal voice spoke up from behind her.

"Hey, whud are yuh doin' h-- ACHOO!" Soi nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden interruption of her thoughts by what she instantly assumed was Yoruichi's father--it sounded way too deep to be a woman's voice.

"I-I'm sorry, sir! I was just bringing these to...Yoruichi-san?" Soi blinked as she turned around, stopping in the middle of her apology once she realized that the person behind her was none other than her friend, but she nearly didn't recognize her. Yoruichi's hair was pooling around her shoulders, looking tangled and ratty like it hadn't been combed in a few days. The upperclassman's eyes were drooping and slightly puffy, and to top it all off she was outfitted in a sleepshirt about three sizes too big for her and her hand was clutching a wad of unused tissues. "Are...are you okay?"

"Doh," Yoruichi managed as she straightened one of the crumpled-up tissues and blew her nose so loudly it echoed in the cavernous room for a few seconds. "I'b sig, ob course. Bud how'd jew ged in, Doi?" It took Soi a moment to deduce what Yoruichi was saying through her congested voice, but after a few seconds the freshman answered.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry!" Soi responded, pointing to the still-open front door. "I tried to knock on your door, but you didn't answer, and when I pushed it opened up, so--"

"Id wad open?" The taller girl answered with a feeble attempt at her normal look of annoyance. "Goddabit, Kisuke... I tod hib to log up when he lebt." With a few incoherent mutters, Yoruichi hobbled over to the door and locked it, shivering as a cold wind blew through at that moment.

"Um...Was Urahara-san here?"

"Ehh, obly for a liddle bid yesterday," Yoruichi responded as she yawned and brought herself to a stop on the staircase railing, leaning against it in an effort to fight off a sudden surge of fatigue. "He broudt be sub stuff frob da store for by code, bud I habbn't eben looked ad it ye--" Yoruichi stopped as a fresh wave of sneezes assaulted her, making her double over and grip the staircase harder to avoid falling onto the floor. When she was finally able to breathe, she gave an annoyed chuckle. "Dy always ged sig around dis tib of year--maybe I'b allerjig do domethig..." Soi felt a pang of guilt at seeing Yoruichi so miserable--it told her the older girl's ailment had nothing to do with allergies and everything to do with having to run home in the rain after relinquishing a certain red umbrella, but she knew that if she asked Yoruichi would just deny it. Instead she reached into her bookbag and pulled out the papers Matsumoto had employed her to deliver.

"Oh--here are these, they're from your homeroom teacher..." Yoruichi took them half-heartedly, not even looking at them as she set them on the foot of the stairs.

"I'll do dem lader, sorry you haddo cumb oud her just for dat. Hey," the dark-haired woman said with sudden comprehension and a glance at the silver-trimmed clock on the wall, "Dond' you hab your tesd in a liddle while?" Soi's eyes drifted down to her watch and widened when she realized Yoruichi was right.

"Oh, geez, I need to get going! Bye, Yoruichi-sa--" she stopped about three feet from the exit when she heard the unmistakable sound of a stomach growling. She turned around to see a very red faced Yoruichi turn around and begin to go upstairs.

"Well, I'd bedder ged some sleeb..." Yoruichi began evasively, but Soi's voice cut her off.

"Yoruichi-san...was that you?" The older girl didn't answer, she simply stayed put halfway up the stairs with her back to the petite freshman. "...When was the last time you ate?"

"Well," Yoruichi admitted with a sniffle, "...I habbn't eaden since Weddsday--" Suddenly she heard Soi answer in a surprisingly agitated voice.

"...Are you kidding! You know you need to be eating when you're sick, right?"

"Well, I jus' wad drying do sleeb id doff; I'be been do dired do ady cooging." Without warning, Soi climbed the handful of steps and put her hand on Yoruichi's forehead, deep maternal instincts overwhelming the young girl's normal reaction to ignore the problem and mind her own business.

"Jeez... you're burning up...Yoruichi-san?" The older girl blinked and didn't answer; Soi's extreme proximity, or rather the deep concern she was displaying, seemed to be doing something to her already befuddled senses. "Oh, here--come back downstairs," Soi muttered as she put Yoruichi's arm over her shoulders and supported the lethargic girl with a hand around the waist, carefully guiding her to the couch and helping her sit down. Before Yoruichi could say anything, Soi had already thrown her bookbag beside the front door and was running around the living room. "Hey, where do you keep extra blankets? You know, pillows, linens...?"

"Uh..." Yoruichi slowly answered, the sudden change in Soi's behavior frightening her a little, "...dere's a liddle closid id da next room--doh, de udder wud," she corrected when Soi began to walk in the wrong direction. A few seconds later the freshman ran back in, barely visible behind an armful of mismatched quilts and a large down pillow. Yoruichi instinctively got off the couch to allow Soi a few minutes to arrange the couch, and before she knew it she was sitting back onto the now-makeshift bed, feeling considerably warmer than she had before. "Lissen...You dodn't need do worry aboud be..." Yoruichi started, but the younger girl didn't seem to want listen.

"Where's that stuff Urahara-san brought you? Was there medicine in there?"

"He...He sed dat dere was sommum dat wud helb...I dink he sed dat it wad in da kidchen." Soi walked into the tiled eating area, too focused on looking for anything that would give Urahara's package away to notice its how well-furnished it was.

Oh, wait...here's a note... she picked up a small piece of paper with his name on it, saying simply that the 'medicine was in the fridge' and that she needed a tall glass. Confused, Soi opened up the nearby refrigerator and understood with a groan what the unshaven wonder had meant.

You've got to be freakin' kidding...

"Wad id it?" The sick upperclassman called from the living room.

"...Eggs and sake," Soi answered grimly. Even if it was meant as a joke, the freshman was finding Urahara's sense of humor less than enjoyable at the moment. "Hey, Yoruichi-san, do you have a telephone?"

"Yeb, in da libing (ACHOO! ACHOO!)...In da libin roob." Yoruichi watched Soi walk determinedly past her to the cordless phone that sat on a nearby counter and pick up the reciever. There was silence for a few moments as she waited for the call to go through.

"He should still be at work..." The freshman muttered to herself, and as soon as Yoruichi realized what the other girl was doing she threw her hand out.

"Wade a middit, Doi (sniffle)...You shud jus' go bag da school. Yur gudda miss yur test..." Soi stared at her friend for a moment, the earnesty in Yoruichi's golden eyes making her uncertain. Sure, she had been looking forward to this all week, but if it hadn't been for Yoruichi she would never have joined the Karate Club in the first place; she'd still be a friendless loner whose only source of happiness had been the books she'd buried herself in for so long. And since Yoruichi wouldn't be in this position in the first place if it hadn't been for her, there was only one option as far as her sense of honor was concerned.

"Hello?" The familiar voice of her father disrupted Soi's train of thought, and when she spoke it was clear and with certainty.

"Hi, Dad--It's me. ...No, no, I'm all right. Listen, I was just calling to let you know that I'm gonna be staying at Yoruichi-san's tonight. ...NO, Dad, we won't be drinking... Well, I've got the Karate test in the morning, so I'll probably be home around 10:30 tomorrow, okay? All right, I love you, too...B'bye." Soi hung the phone up and ran to the front door, slipping her shoes on as she went. "Well, since Urahara-san didn't bring you anything decent..." the freshman said with a roll of the eyes, "...I'm going to the store to get some medicine, all right? Oh, and I'll get you some soup or something, too. Is that okay?"

"Uh..." To be honest, Yoruichi didn't really know what to think. This somehow felt strange, almost otherworldly, to be treated like this after so long. She'd always been self-sufficient, and Kisuke had respected her personality in this regard, never forcing her to do anything but offering to help if she requested it (which admittedly was never). Yet in the blink of an eye Soi was taking care of her as if they were sisters. But instead of frustrating her, Yoruichi simply felt grateful, something which didn't come easily to her at all. "...No, dat's fine..."

"Okay, well, I'll be back in a few minutes, okay? I think there's a drug store around here somewhere, right? Up by the main road?" Yoruichi nodded as Soi headed out the door with a smile, then fell back onto the nearby pillow to relax her tired body.

It didn't hurt that all the fight seemed to go out of her when Soi smiled at her like that.


	13. Uncomfortable Position?

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 13: Uncomfortable(?) Position

"Here--I hope it's not too bad..." Yoruichi stirred out of her listless state of half-sleep at the sound of Soi Fong's voice and the aroma of hot soup. The upperclassman groaned a few times as she pulled herself into a sitting position on the couch, then without even bothering to make an attempt to open her drooping eyes, accepted the meal with outstretched hands and a few incoherent mumbles. "Honestly," Soi said with a roll of the eyes as she watched her friend move as though she was making her way through a purple haze, "...You'd think that someone YOUR age would be able to know how to deal with a cold."

"...Well..." the older girl managed once she'd allowed the warmth of the soup to wake her up a bit, "...Dy'm surbised dew doh soh buch aboud dis, Doi..." The freshman only shrugged her shoulders, as if doing so could account for her wealth of knowledge on the subject of minor sicknesses.

"Well, you know...I was sick a lot when I was a kid, and my parents would always do the same things whenever I came down with a fever or whatever-- make me lay down, stay warm, drink lots of fluids, eat, that sort of thing. I guess I just kinda picked it up after a while," Soi finished with a slightly reminiscent chuckle. When she noticed that Yoruichi was in danger of nodding off and spilling her soup all over the floor, she tapped her friend on the shoulder, making Yoruichi's sagging head jerk up. "Yoruichi-san, you need to eat..." After a few moments, Yoruichi scooped up some of the noodle soup with a provided spoon, then gulped it down once she had blown on it to the point where it had no danger of burning her tongue.

"Hey..." Yoruichi said quietly once she had allowed her first bit of food to go down her throat, sounding slightly better already, "...Dat stub's preddy good. Dy'm glad you're bedder dan your Dad," she added with a spirited attempt at her trademark mischevious smile. Soi grinned back nervously, deciding that this probably wasn't a good time to tell Yoruichi that the only reason the soup tasted remotely edible was because the instructions on the back of the can were so simple.

"Well, if you're gonna be okay, then I'll go eat in the kitchen..." Soi began as she headed in that direction, but Yoruichi stopped her with a wave of the hand.

"Dey, by do'd you gome dit in here? Dere's blenny of seeds," the upperclassman said through a sniffle as she pointed out the handful of varied chairs scattered around the living room. Soi hesitated for a moment, about to contend that she didn't want to run the risk of getting sick from being too near Yoruichi, but then she considered that if she hadn't already caught something by now, then she had nothing to worry about for the rest of the night.

"...Okay." the younger girl gave a slight nod, then headed for the kitchen to grab another bowl.

* * *

A half-hour later, Soi set down her now-empty dish on the carpet, being careful to put it somewhere that she wouldn't knock it over with an errant foot. She glanced over at Yoruichi, who was watching the television set flickering in the epicenter of the room with only half her attention. Occasionally she would let out a slight laugh if she saw something particularly amusing, but otherwise she simply focused on her soup, taking liberal gulps of water in between spoonfuls. It took Soi a moment to realize that she was staring at her friend with surprising intensity, but she suceeded in snapping herself out of her trance with a shake of the head. 

_I must be more worried than I thought,_ Soi considered quietly as, with surprising reluctance, she turned her attention to the television. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed when Soi heard a loud yawn come from the direction of her friend. She turned her head slightly to see Yoruichi set down her bowl, lazily sloshing some of the soup onto the carpet.

"Hey--are you okay?"

"Huh? Doh, yeah...I'b fide," Yoruichi answered after another yawn interrupted her. "Id's jus dat duh medidine made be dired, is all..."

"I'm sorry," the freshman apologized as she walked over to where Yoruichi had set her dish, then stacked it atop her own bowl and walked toward the kitchen. "...I should've gotten the non-drowsy stuff. I just grabbed the first thing I could--" Yoruichi cut off her younger companion with a nod of the head.

"Dit's all ride, Doi. Do be honesd... Dy habben'd been sleebing well dis weeg, so..."

"What! I thought you said you'd been sleeping it off!" Soi answered with a bit of annoyance from the kitchen, her frustration not visible to the sick girl lazily watching TV from the couch. She gave a loud sigh, then walked in with a fresh glass of water for Yoruichi, who took it gratefully as her current drink was empty. "Jeez, were you just planning to stay out of school for as long as you could!" Yoruichi gave a stuffy chuckle but no denial as Soi absentmindedly plopped down on the couch beside her. "I swear..." the Chinese girl began, but was violently knocked off her train of thought when she felt something heavy plop into her lap. She blinked when she realized it was Yoruichi's head, then barely succeeded in collecting her thoughts enough to protest.

"W-what the...? Hey! D-don't lay on top of me!"

"...S...(yawn)...sorry..." Yoruichi tiredly droned to her friend as she unconsciously shifted her position on the couch, not noticing that Soi's face was twice as red as hers was, but for an entirely different reason. "Dy...Dy'll mobe in a few middides. I dold dew dy wad dired..."

"Y-you've got a perfectly good pillow on the other side of the couch," Soi complained even as something deep in her gut told her not to put up a fuss.

"Ahh...Id's nod berry comfy," Yoruichi answered with a teasing smile and a coy voice that came out sounding more like the mumbling of an elephant than a beautiful young woman. The statement itself had the desired effect of rendering Soi Fong speechless however, and the younger girl sighed in defeat even as she pushed aside a sudden feeling of ecstacy. For a while the two girls stayed that way, their eyes on the television but neither paying it any attention--Soi was feeling self-conscious about having her friend so close, while Yoruichi was just struggling to remain cognizant, since her current position was a comfortable one. She was so comfortable, in fact, that Yoruichi had slowly become aware of the clean, freshly-laundered scent of Soi's jeans, and in a last ditch effort to get her mind off the thoughts spontaneously filling her head she looked up and noticed the glitter of a chain on her friend's neck.

"Hey, Doi..."

"...Huh?" Soi mumbled after a moment, pulling herself back to the present. "Do you need something, Yoruichi-san?" It took Yoruichi a little longer to answer then she normally would have; she hadn't been close enough before to see the color of Soi Fong's eyes that was now as clear as day-- a blend of silver and gray, something like a sky-full of clouds ready to burst into a storm. Her pause was brief enough that Soi didn't notice it, however.

"...Cad dy see dat ding? ...Da wod od yer deck," she clarified when Soi only gave her a perplexed expression in response.

"Oh--sure," the freshman assented (with a bit of hesitancy) as she reached below the collar of her plain white blouse and pulled out the jewelry that Yoruichi greeted with a slight sigh of recollection.

"Hey...Dy remebber dis..." she smiled as she recalled Soi's haymaker knockout of Ichimaru, then lifted up a slender hand and placed the necklace's ruby-and-silver pendant between her thumb and forefinger. "...Id's really dice," Yoruichi admitted as she turned it over a few times, the flickering light of the television illuminating the many facets of the gem and its metal lining.

"Uh...Thanks," Soi answered, her tone somewhere between appreciation and discomfort. She hoped that at least the older girl wouldn't ask her what everyone else asked her when they saw the thing. But sure enough...

"Where'd dyew ged id?"

"...My mom gave it to me...for my 9th birthday." She wasn't sure if she had expected Yoruichi to say anything, or to pry further, but when the upperclassman spoke a few moments later it was a simple statement, not a vague question.

"...You musd miss her a lod." Soi blinked, surprised at what her friend had said. Before she could ask how Yoruichi had found out, she realized that the older girl must have simply read between the lines. She wasn't stupid, after all.

"Yeah..." Soi answered quietly while Yoruichi relinquished her hold on the charm, letting it land softly against the fabric of her friend's blouse. "...She got sick a few years ago, but she didn't tell me or Dad about it. I was angry at her for a while afterwards, but...I know that it was just her way of taking care of us. It's just...sometimes I feel like I...I wanna be as strong, like that, but..." Soi blinked once she realized what was coming out of her mouth, and she covered it up with a free hand to keep herself from contiinuing. "Oh, jeez, I'm sorry-- I'm sure you didn't wanna hear about my problems--"

"...Dit's all righd," the half-asleep senior responded as she turned herself to the television set again, her long hair laying askew on Soi's abdomen. "Id's nod a bad thig do tog aboud stub lig this if id's on your mide." When she heard her younger friend sigh in response, Yoruichi spoke again, rubbing her eyes as she did so. "...I thing...dat your Mob would be broud ob you, Doi." Soi Fong said nothing to Yoruichi's statement, but it did make her slightly glad to hear it from someone other than her father for once...even if it was barely intelligible. It was only after a few minutes of silent comtemplation that the young girl suddenly became cognizant of something that she'd forgotten about entirely, something she should have noticed hours ago but had ignored in her rush to see to Yoruichi's health.

"Um...Yoruichi-san...Where are YOUR parents? Shouldn't they be here to take care of y--" She stopped once she took another look at her friend and saw that Yoruichi was fast asleep, a steady rhythm overtaking her breathing pattern.

_Oh, crap...I was worried about this._

She tried to slip her legs out from underneath Yoruichi's head, but was surprised and frustrated to find that her position was such that she couldn't move without potentially waking her up. After a moment of agitated thought, Soi decided to try and lift Yoruichi up just enough that she could move, but the task proved equally impossible.

_Damnit...she's heavy! She's not that much bigger than me, but geez!_

Not sure if the problem lay more in her own weakness or in Yoruichi's relative weight, Soi finally gave up and accepted that she would be stuck in this position unitl morning. She took a glance at her sick friend's profile and smiled unconsciously as she turned off the TV, letting the room fill with a peaceful silence. It only took a little while for Soi to nod off as well.


	14. Attempting Breakfast

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 14: A Well-Intentioned Breakfast

The dim sunlight pouring through shade-covered windows, combined with instinctively snapping herself awake pulled Soi back to the land of consciousness, if only in the literal sense of the term. As the freshman experimentally moved her head, she nearly yelped out loud, the crick in her neck painfully advising her against sleeping in this position in the future. Knowing that she needed some aspirin, Soi prepared to get up before remembering why she had to sleep on the couch in the first place. She looked down at the still sleeping Yoruichi, her eyes nearly popping out of her skull when they wandered just enough to see that her hand had somehow found its way into the older girl's hair. Before she could give herself the opportunity to blush, Soi practically jumped out from under Yoruichi, who didn't wake even when her head thudded against the cushions of the couch.

_What the...?_ Soi thought in delayed surprise when she saw that her movement had made no effect of her friend's restfulness. _If I'd known that she slept like a rock then I would've moved!_ Ultimately deciding that she had no one to blame but herself for her current state of discomfort, Soi gave a slight huff of annoyance and walked to the nearby bathroom.

_Well, hopefully she's at least got some painkillers or something,_ the young girl mused as she rubbed her sore neck. Fortunately, buried behind a box of high-end bandages and cotton swabs was a half-bottle of aspirin, the lid of which Soi removed with ease and gratefully swallowed a pair of the small white pills, washing them down with a palmful of water from the tap. Once she had allowed a few moments for the medicine to take effect, she glanced up at the clock when she suddenly realized how curious she was about the time. She did a double take as her prior obligation came back to her attention.

_...It can't be that late..._ Desperate for a second opinion, Soi lifted her watch arm to her face, only to see that the time was in fact correct.

_Oh, damnit! 8:53! The test!_

On pure instinct, Soi dashed out of the bathroom and to Yoruichi's front door, grabbing her bookbag on the way.

_Okay, I've got my shoes, my homework, my_ gi...

As her karate uniform entered her mental checklist of things she needed, Soi halted a few steps from the threshold.

_Wait a minute... Oh God, please let me be wrong..._

When it came to having bad feelings, Soi's gut instincts were usually right on the mark, and since she'd been wrong about her early judgement of Yoruichi she was long overdue to be correct. With a bit of hurried trepidation, Soi unzipped her bookbag, tossing folders and a few textbooks out with abandon (had she not been so preoccupied with her belongings, she would have noticed that Yoruichi was STILL sleeping through the clamor she was raising). Unfortunately, the object of her search was nowhere to be found.

_Where is it? I thought I packed it...wait..._ Suddenly she remembered that she had left her gi BESIDE her backpack the day before yesterday, in preparation of packing it with her things but had forgotten it in the rush of a late morning. With no uniform, she couldn't expect her sensei to take her seriously as a student prepared to take a belt test. After a few moments spent in disbelieving, frustrated silence, Soi dropped the now-empty backpack to the ground, then quietly opened the front door, stepping out onto Yoruichi's front step and being careful to close up behind her. Once she was certain that the door was safely closed, she took a deep breath and shattered the early morning stillness.

"DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!" Soi was sure she's seen a flock of birds scatter from the nearby trees at her uncharacteristic outburst, but at the moment she didn't care. She continued yelling for a few minutes, cursing her own absentmindedness and Yoruichi's sickness and Kuchiki-sensei's scheduling sensibilities and her alarm clock for failing to wake her up properly yesterday. Fortunately for her, the houses in this neighborhood were far enough apart that she could yell her heart out free of the fear of being reported by the still-sleeping populace. Once she'd vented enough to avoid breaking something, Soi suddenly heard her stomach growl.

_...I'm starving,_ the freshman thought with a bit of embarrassment, then headed back inside. _I guess I might as well have a decent breakfast._

Remembering the 'medicine' Urahara had left for Yoruichi, Soi pulled the eggs out of the fridge, along with a partly finished half-gallon of milk and a small block of cheese.

_Well, it's not much,_ she though with a raised eyebrow, _but I'll probably just screw it up anyway-- best if I don't empty out her entire cupboard in the process._ After a few minutes of searching in the massive dining area, Soi managed to gather a skillet, small bowl, and a sharp kitchen knife, all of which she set on the counter as she flipped on the front-burner of the stove. She was in the middle of cracking eggs when she heard a yawn and the sound of bare feet coming towards her.

"Oh--Good morning, Yoruichi-san!" Soi greeted warmly. It took the still-tired upperclassman, in the middle of rubbing her sleep-filled eyes, a few moments to answer back.

"M...mornin'.

"How are you feeling? You sound a lot better now." Indeed, Yoruichi's near-unintelligible congestion of the previous day had diminished to a mere sniffle.

"Ahh...Lots better, thanks to you. Hey," Yoruichi's eyes opened a little wider as she suddenly sniffed at the air, waking up a little more as she caught the unmistakable scent of butter on hot metal. "...What are you makin'?"

"Well, since you've got a bunch, I thought I'd make some eggs," Soi answered, holding up the bowlful of four half-mixed yolks. "...I was planning to just make scrambled--I hope it's not a problem."

"Uh...No, that sounds great," Yoruichi said with a widening smile at the prospect of a hot breakfast. "Is there something I can do to help you out?"

"Oh, no, you should just relax, Yoruichi-san."

"Really, if you need an extra pair of hands, it's no problem. Besides, I'm sure you're sick of taking care of me--"

"N-no, it's not that!" Soi managed quickly, pouring the mixture of egg and milk into the skillet, which let out a gratifying sizzle as it hit the pan. "Really, it's no problem, Yoruichi-san--I like making breakfast. Now just sit there and I'll make you some coffee, okay?" Before Yoruichi could protest, Soi held out a container of ground beans (which she'd found by chance on her sweep of the kitchen cabinets earlier) and started to wander about the kitchen. "So, where's you're coffee maker?"

"Oh, uh, in the corner near the window," Yoruichi answered pointing away from her. When Soi turned around, her jaw dropped straight to the floor. Instead of a nice, normal, SIMPLE coffee machine, the Shihouin house was equipped with a horribly complicated-looking monstrosity of metal and chrome. She stared at the thing bewildered for a few moments until Yoruichi spoke up from her seat nearby. "Um, Soi..."

"Uh," the younger girl began nervously, not wanting to admit defeat before she'd even tried using the coffee maker. "D...don't worry, I, uh...know how to use these, I just, um..."

"No, it's not that..." Yoruichi answered casually as Soi suddenly caught the acrid scent of something burning. The freshman turned around just in time to see her forgotten eggs smoking on the stove, which elicited a long string of "oh, crap, oh crap!" from Soi as she hurriedly struggled to turn the uncooked side over. "Uh, here," Yoruichi said, holding back an amused grin as she walked past a very disgruntled Soi, "..How about I take care of the coffee?" Soi put up no argument this time; she was too busy grumbling to herself about the possibly-ruined eggs to notice.

* * *

"...Well? How is it?" Yoruichi was taking a little too long to answer Soi's question than she knew she should have. The first bite she'd taken of Soi's spirited but failed attempt at making scrambled egg with cheese had made a loud 'crunch' inside her mouth. She was fairly certain that eggs, unless eaten raw straight from the shell, were not supposed to make that sound, but she slowly chewed the small chunk of food anyway, willing to at least see if it got any better if she continued. It didn't. 

"C...can I be honest with you?" Yoruichi asked with a slightly worried smile once she'd washed down the culinary abomination with a gulp of coffee sweetened to the point that it was more like hot chocolate than fermented bean juice.

"...Yeah..."

"...This stuff is terrible!" Yoruichi managed as she broke into laughter. To her surprise, Soi was far from offended; in fact she was laughing right along with her.

"Oh God, I know! To tell the truth, I can't cook worth jack!" Once the two girls had calmed down, they took turns eating from a plateful of buttered toast that Yoruichi had prepared along with the coffee, the flavor of which Soi was enjoying greatly. "Man, this is kinda sad--I try to make you a nice breakfast and you basically ended up making the only stuff that's actually edible."

"Hmph. Well, don't get the wrong idea," Yoruichi smiled wryly as she walked over to the coffee machine and poured herself another cup, taking a moment to add just a bit of sugar and honey to the dark liquid. "...Coffee and toast are about the only things I CAN make on my own. Usually Kisuke comes over if I wanna do anything else." Soi smile dropped in spite of herself at the mention of the hat-donning upperclassman, but she managed to catch herself before her friend noticed.

"...So, then he's here a lot?" she asked with a nervousness she struggled to hide but whose presence made no sense to her.

"Yeah, practically at least once a day. Now that guy-- if there's one thing he can really do right, it's cook. I probably would've starved to death a long time ago if it wasn't for him," the older girl said with a chuckle even though she was only half-joking.

...He comes over that often just to cook? For some reason, the information Yoruichi had just imparted to her along with her unanswered query of the previous evening made Soi curious.

"But Yoruichi-san...Why do you need him here for that when your parents can take care of meals? In fact..." Soi glanced out of the kitchen and towards the stairs, "...Why haven't I seen them yet? Do they get in really late or..."

"I don't have parents."

As soon as Yoruichi said those words in her normal tone of voice, Soi blinked in shock before immediately going into a desperate plea for forgiveness.

"...Oh, Jesus...I'm so, SO sorry! I didn't know--well, that's no excuse, I should've been more tactful than th--!"

"It's all right...Really, it's okay!" Yoruichi repeated when her initial dismissal of her friend's apology went unheard. "It happened a long time ago." She said this last part with a no-big-deal sort of shrug, but Soi, who had only lost her mother and still felt sad about it, couldn't accept that anyone could take the death of their family so casually.

"B...but don't you miss them? And another thing..." she spread her hands out wide to indicate the massive house they were eating in. "How can you afford this place on your own?"

"Well, my parents left all their assents to me when they died, and this house along with everything in it was part of the will," Yoruichi answered matter-of-factly. "I was only able to move in a few years ago, just because I wasn't of the proper age to inherit it. As for my mom and dad...I don't miss them that much, mainly just because I barely remember them at all. It's just not something that's worth worrying about for me." Soi looked at her friend curiously, wanting to speak but unable to find the right way to put her thoughts into words. There were so many more questions she wanted to ask Yoruichi about herself now that she'd had the slightest inkling of her friend's childhood, but part of her was still afraid that she might go too far and make her friend angry.

"I...I'm really sorry, Yoruichi-sa--"

"Come on, Soi," Yoruichi said with a roll of the eyes from across the table, "...What did I tell you about apologizing?" Before Soi could give a proper answer, a door slammed from the direction of the front door, followed by a loud "Yoru-chan!" that echoed in the spacious house. A few moments later Urahara walked into the kitchen, his hat absent from being tossed onto the living room couch.

"Oh, here you are...And Miss Fong, too! Well, how are you feeling, Yor--" He was rendered speechless when Soi walked right up to the blonde teen, squaring off with him and sporting a particularly nasty look.

"What the hell were you thinking, bringing that crap to a sick person!" Urahara looked at her puzzled, but before he could answer Soi began her ranting anew. "All you needed to bring Yoruichi-san was cough medicine and some soup, not your quaint little 'home remedy!'"

"...Hey, Soi..." Yoruichi called uncertainly, bewildered by the sudden change in her friend's behavior, but the younger girl was so focused on chewing out Kisuke that she didn't notice.

"...And besides, if you knew Yoruichi-san was sick you could've taken FIVE MINUTES out of your incredibly busy schedule to tell me! I'm her friend too, you know! Since you couldn't be bothered to take care of her yourself--"

"Soi, it's FINE!" Yoruichi said so loudly that the room's two other occupants turned to her, stunned. The oldest female in the room continued, but in a much quieter tone. "...I'm doing fine now. It's no big deal, okay?" Soi opened her mouth as if to argue that it WAS a big deal, but upon taking a moment to consider that she was yelling at a perfectly well-meaning (she assumed) person over a matter that wasn't worth blaming anyone for, her quiet inclinations took over and she sat down, looking ashamed of herself.

"Uh...Hey, in my defense," Urahara said once the shock of Soi Fong yelling at him over his oldest friend's health had subsided, "...Raw eggs and sake always worked for ME when I was a kid, and Yoruichi doesn't get sick too much, so..." Kisuke's statement ended in an apologetic, if slightly befuddled look which Yoruichi ignored in favor of another bite of toast. "Oh... I'm sorry, did I interrupt breakfast?" Urahara had just noticed the blackened eggs sitting in the center of the table and couldn't pass the opportunity to make a little joke, even if it did result in another angry glare from Soi.

"For your information, Soi's been here all night. I can honestly say that I'd still be sitting in that bed if she hadn't gotten me something yesterday." Soi turned back to her toast as Yoruichi finished her statement and smiled appreciatively at her, the younger girl only just succeeding in hiding a deep blush that didn't escape the scrutiny of the young man standing behind her.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Kisuke said evenly, deciding that what he'd just seen Soi do was more a trick of the eye than anything else, " ...But you should still be resting. You don't just get over these things in one night, you know." Yoruichi nodded admissively as she took another sip of her coffee, yawning in spite of the drink's intended effect of keeping her alert.

"Ahh...I'll take a nap in a little while, once the java's worn off."

"Hmm...Well, in the meantime," Kisuke said with a grin as he walked to the fridge and pulled out the alcohol he'd sent previously, "...How about we celebrate your good health with some sake?"

"So THAT'S why you came here, isn't it!" Soi yelled in exasperation at the audacity of Urahara's request, while Yoruichi only rolled her eyes as if she'd seen this many times before.

"Damn straight it is! I paid good money for this stuff--had to pull quite a few strings to get it, too--so if you think I'm gonna let this go to waste, then you're crazy!" Without further ado, Kisuke snapped the lid off the bottle, releasing the scent of sweet rice wine into the room. "Oh, and by the way, Soi-chan," he said turning to the further-disgruntled girl with braids, "...I've got the day off today, so I can take care of Yoru-chan. You can go home if you want." Without bothering to wait, Soi's anger toward the blonde senior was rekindled once more.

"Excuse me, Yoruichi-san...NOT 'Yoru-chan'... isn't feeling well, and I have no problem with staying here as long as it ta--"

"No, really Soi--I'm feeling a lot better," Yoruichi spoke up as she took a moment to drain her cup of coffee in a single gulp. "...And besides, I'm sure you're tired. Go home and relax a little bit. I insist," she added when she noticed that her dark-haired friend was about to protest. Soi hesitated defiantly for a moment, not wanting to leave Yoruichi alone with Urahara (though she knew that he wouldn't be foolish enough to do anything to her even if he WAS drunk), but after a few moments she nodded admissively.

"...All right, Yoruichi-san. I hope to see you in school on Monday," she said shyly as Yoruichi waved farewell and Urahara made a half-hearted wave over his shoulder, as he was currently preoccupied with getting a glass for his alcohol from the overhead cabinets. He had poured himself a cupfull of the rice wine and was about to down in it one swig when a small, pale hand grabbed the glass AND the accompanying bottle out of his hand. He blinked himself back to reality just in time to see Soi Fong pouring the sake down the nearby sink.

"H-hey! What the hell are y--" Kisuke managed to stutter out as he helplessly watched half-a-day's worth of work banished to the dregs of the plumbing. When Soi turned around, there was no sadistic look of satisfaction on her face; it was more the strict, no-nonsense expression of a schoolteacher who'd found a student breaking the rules.

"You can be drunk on your own time, but I'm not going to let you molest Yoruichi-san when YOU offered to take care of her." Before he even had a chance to be upset, Soi marched out of the kitchen. Once the sound of a far-off door being shut echoed in the house, signaling Soi Fong's departure, he exploded.

"What the...Jeez! To just toss that out!" he grumbled, more to himself than anyone else. "I mean, that was top-quality stuff, too! What kinda nerve does she...Hey, what's so funny?" He turned at the sound of an odd little noise coming from Yoruichi's direction to see his dark-skinned confidant covering her mouth with her hand, shivering as if she was freezing cold.

"N...nothing," Yoruichi lied once she'd managed to stop giggling long enough to answer.


	15. Annoyances

The Cat And The Bee 

Chapter 15: Annoyances

Yoruichi sighed as she re-entered Class 4-E for the first time in a week, both grateful to her friends for helping her get better and annoyed that she had to return to school at the same time. She'd just left Soi and Kisuke in the hallway a few minutes ago, both of whom had expressed gratitude at her return to good health in their own ways (Soi with a warm, if slightly timid greeting, her male confidant by teasingly offering to give her a 'thorough physical' to make sure she really was better). As she'd expected, most of the class had already assembled; Yoruichi had been running a little late this morning and still felt slightly off-kilter, but Soi insisted that she was well enough to attend classes when she'd stopped by on the previous evening. She allowed herself a grin as she recalled the almost-comically agitated look on her young friend's face, but her thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"Well, well...Where th' hell've you been, y' bitch?" Yoruichi smiled and huffed in feigned annoyance as she walked over to the voice's source, a girl about her height and age with her ebony hair styled (if it could be called that, to be honest she looked somewhat raggedy) haphazardly into two long tails that lay across her shoulder blades. Many of this girl's peers were of the opinion that she would probably be very popular with the boys (considering her attractive features along with 'assets' that put even Matsumoto's to shame) were it not for the darkly mischevious expression perpetually worn on her face and her completely tomboyish nature. These facts didn't dissuade Yoruichi though, and when her peers observed that the second this girl had walked into Rukongai High and had been greeted familiarly by The Goddess, everyone had wisely opted to at least treat her with respect.

"I've been sick, Kuukaku. ...And a 'good morning' to you, too."

"You? Sick? Yeah, right..."

"No, really-- don't you remember all that rain we got last week?" Yoruichi insisted, sliding the handle of her bookcase into the hook on the side of her desk, ignoring the slight jingle of the black cat-shaped charm dangling from the leatherbound luggage.

"Uh-huh," the other girl answered with plenty of sarcasm. "...And I guess all those times we got 'sick' in middle school wouldn't POSSIBLY make me just a LITTLE suspicious about what you were doing. If you were going to just take a week off and party, then you should've at least invited m--"

"Miss Shiba," a silky, masculine voice called out, followed moments later by the sound of the classroom door shutting behind it, "...Class has started now--please keep your...'extracurricular activities'...private, if you will." The students collectively stopped what they were doing and came to attention as their homeroom teacher entered, placing a fine black briefcase on his desk and tossing his tweed suitcoat over a chair. Kuukaku groaned under her breath as she turned away from Yoruichi and toward the front of the class.

"...Yes, Aizen-sensei," she replied with as much subdued venom as her voice could muster.

Sosuke Aizen was held in fairly high esteem, both with the staff and students of Rukongai High School, but his benevolent additude and compassionate nature only went so far. Yoruichi knew from firsthand experience that the bespectacled teacher hated troublemakers and delinquents, as he was completely dedicated to preserving the prestigious reputation of his place of employment. He'd requested quite a few times that any sort of criminal record or serious disciplinary problems in the past bar entering students from attending the high school, but fortunately many of the faculty considered him a bit too zealous in this area, and usually ignored his proposals. As such, he took it upon himself to make his class as difficult as possible for anyone he considered a 'problem child'-- people like Kuukaku and Yoruichi, for example. Aizen gave his female student a curt nod, then spoke again when he noticed Yoruichi.

"Ah, Shihouin--Nice of you to return to class." That was all he said, but the hidden accusation in his tone that was ignored by the rest of the class came through loud and clear to the dark-skinned woman. After two years straight with him as her homeroom teacher, recieving this kind of subtle treatment barely fazed her. "...I hope you recieved the hand-outs for this class while you were 'incapacitated.' Yoruichi didn't like the emphasis he had placed on that term, but decided not to say anything regarding it.

"...I did, Aizen-sensei."

"Good. Then you should be prepared for our test today." The class let out an audible groan, the volume of which was only equaled by the amount of shock on Yoruichi's face.

"Aizen-sensei," Yoruichi said in as calm a voice as she could manage given the circumstances, "...I thought that the exam wasn't until the end of the week..."

"Well, I announced on Wednesday that the test was going to be moved up. You can miss quite a bit when you're out for nearly an entire school week, Miss Shihouin." Yoruichi knew that this was no mere coincidence, but rather than give an excuse to be reprimanded she sighed and slumped in her desk.

_Figures._

"Jeez, what a bastard."

It took Yoruichi a moment to answer Kuukaku's sudden remark, as she had been in the middle of eating her lunch. The weather today had been an agreeable opposite to the conditions of the previous Monday, so the two girls had opted to have their meal on the roof. Catching a napkin before the breeze could carry it more than a few inches away, Yoruichi turned to her friend.

"Oh, come on...it's not like I would've passed even if I had a whole week to study..."

"That's beside the point," Kuukaku muttered as she took a swig of her cola, letting loose with a loud belch once she was done. "...He did it on purpose and you know it! Why are you just sitting and taking it, anyway? The Yoruichi I know wouldn't have dealt with this shit for more than a week..." Yoruichi rolled her eyes as she continued to focus on her sandwich, hoping that her silence would send the message that she wasn't feeling energetic enough to take a stroll down memory lane.

Whether Kuukaku caught the hint or not soon became irrelevant as Yoruichi caught a glint of silver near the stairwell that led up to the roof. A smile found its way to her face as she realized who that silver hoop was attached to, and without any hesitation called out to its owner.

"Hey, Soi!" The freshman was halfway down the first flight when she'd heard her name, called in that now-familiar voice, and froze. She'd felt stupid when a strange boldness pushed her to find Yoruichi and sit with her for lunch. She felt even more so when she'd arrived at the roof, only to find Yoruichi already sitting with someone else, a tall girl she didn't recognize. After all, who was she to think that Yoruichi would always want her around? She was an only child, but she'd often overheard classmates with siblings complaining about a lack of free space. Why should it be any different with her?

In spite of the long list of reasons her brain kept giving her to give Yoruichi some breathing room, she'd found herself looking for the older girl anyway. When Yoruichi called her a second time, shaking Soi out of her reverie, the younger girl climbed the few stairs she'd managed to descend, dismissing the pounding in her chest as fatigue. "Well, I THOUGHT it was you," Yoruichi said with that Chesire-cat grin she always had, giving Soi a bit of comfort in the fact that the older girl was fully back to her normal self. "Did you come up the stairs a minute ago?"

"Y...Yeah," Soi answered after a moment, her hands betraying her nervousness by toying with the wrapper on the sandwich she'd purchased from the cafeteria. After forcing herself to calm down, Soi made eye contact with her friend. "I'm...I'm glad you're feeling better, Yoruichi-san." Before the older girl could respond, Kuukaku interrupted.

"Hey, Yoruichi--I didn't know you liked 'em young." Soi finally turned to acknowledge the stranger sitting beside Yoruichi, already getting a bad impression of her for interrupting them. When her two companions made no indication that they appreciated her jest, Kuukaku tentatively stuck out a hand in Soi's direction. "...Uh, sorry kid, I was just playin'. The name's Kuukaku Shiba." After a moment, Soi grasped the other girl's hand, allowing only the most polite of smiles to cross her lips.

"...Charmed, I'm sure," the Chinese girl answered with as much false warmth as she could muster. She didn't want to come off as rude, but she could tell that Kuukaku was a troublemaker, just the sort of person Soi worked most of her life to avoid.

"Hey, don't worry," Yoruichi suddenly remarked with a grin in the freshman's direction. "...She used to be pretty...well, rowdy...at our old school, but she's harmless these days." Soi blinked and turned in Yoruichi's direction, eyeing her suspiciously. Was she that easy a person to read?

"Oh, like you're one to talk," Kuukaku quipped with a snort. "You haven't changed a bit since middle school, you know that?" Before Soi could ask what the other girl meant, Yoruichi guided her to the ledge and sat her down. Taking the hint, she liberated her meal from its plastic prison and began to eat. "So..." Kuukaku said after a few minutes, breaking a fairly awkward silence, "How do you know Yoruichi? She's never mentioned you before..." When she suddenly realized that she was being spoken to, Soi put down her food and turned to her new 'friend.'

"Oh...Well, I was being...picked on... by Ichimaru, and Yoruichi helped me."

"...Really?" Kuukaku responded to Soi's explanation, giving her friend a knowing grin that was lost on the freshman.

"I'm tellin' you, Yoruichi-- if you want Aizen taken care of, just say the word," Kuukaku said as the trio descended the stairs after lunch. "God knows I'd like an excuse to teach that creep a lesson."

"...Who's that?" Soi asked, intrigued since the name sounded familiar.

"Oh, he's just our homeroom teacher," Yoruichi answered casually. "...Kuukaku doesn't like him very much."

"Damn straight, I don't! Bastard's been failing me ever since I walked in that class."

"That's because you don't study the material, Shiba," Yoruichi said with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, but...it's the principle of the thing! He's always willing to help out suck-ups like the class rep, but kids like you and me? No luck at all!" To the inattentive Soi Fong's surprise, Kuukaku rounded on her. "You know what I'm talking about, right kid?"

"Uh, yeah..." Soi answered uncertainly, not really understanding what was the other girls were talking about in the first place. In fact, she was feeling rather like an outsider, and considering that she wasn't able to hold a conversation with Yoruichi without this ostentacious girl butting in, she was wondering why she had stuck around at all.

_Maybe I should just hurry to class..._

"Well, I've gotta get to next hour," Kuukaku said once they reached the second floor, which instantly made the freshman perk up. "See ya, Yoruichi--oh, and good meetin' you, kid." Once Kuukaku had headed off her own way, Yoruichi matched pace with Soi, who was walking a little ways ahead.

"Man, Kuukaku's something, huh? Sometimes that girl scares me a bit."

"Um, yeah..." Soi answered after a moment, Yoruichi's proximity and the fact that they were alone now making her a little happier than she had been moments ago. "To be honest...I kind of don't like her." The older girl let out a noise a little like a snort, amused by Soi's frank assertion.

"Well, she is a little rough around the edges," Yoruichi admitted, "...but she'll grow on you." Soi gave Yoruichi a glance that told her quite plainly that she had no plans of giving Kuukaku an opportunity to do any such thing, and the upperclassman laughed. After a brief silence, Yoruichi spoke up again. "So...have you had a chance to talk to Byakuya-kun? ...About taking the test?" Soi blinked for a moment before tapping her forehead in self-punishment. She'd completely forgotten due to worrying about Yoruichi.

"...No," she admitted sheepishly, "...I haven't had a chance, what with last weekend and all..."

"Yeah, about that," Yoruichi said guiltily as they stopped at Soi's locker, "...I feel pretty bad about making you miss that..."

"Oh, no! I was happy to stay with y--...I mean, it wasn't a problem, if that's what you're worried about," Soi insisted, wondering briefly why she had felt uncomfortable saying what she had meant to. Yoruichi shook her head, equally unwilling to acquiesce.

"Anyway...I was thinking, I'd like to make it up to you, if you don't have a problem." Soi's brain did a double-take, wondering with a strange sort of anticipation what Yoruichi had meant by that statement.

"...'M-make it up to me?' What, um...did you have in mind?" The Chinese girl didn't like the idea of people doing favors for her or paying her back, or at least she hadn't before Yoruichi had offered to do so.

"Well, you need to have a Black-belt give you the test, right? Well, you're looking at a very available one right here," Yoruichi indicated herself with a smile, while Soi felt a slight bit of disappointment, almost as if she was hoping Yoruichi had meant something else by paying her back...

_Damnit, what's wrong with you, Soi?_ she blushed as she shook the uncharacteristically scandalous thoughts from her head.

"So, just tell Byakuya-kun that you'd like to take the test Friday, and then I'll be able to do it with you, okay?"

Soi nodded enthusiastically in response, after which Yoruichi headed off to her own classes, leaving behind a Soi who felt very strange about what had passed through her mind concerning her sempai.

As much as Soi had been looking forward to Karate today, her enthusiasm for the sport had quickly evaporated thanks to the results of the missed test. It seemed like nearly everyone was wearing a bright yellow belt now-- only a few besides Soi, including Keigo and a tall boy she didn't recognize appeared to failed to arrive like she had. She tried to ignore the new boy and focus on the lesson at hand, but it was that hair of his that kept distracting her--it looked almost like he'd tried to bleach it, but had failed in the attempt, tinting it a bright shade of orange. Fortunately, Rukia seemed to have noticed a general lack of motivation in the group as a whole, and the twenty push-ups she'd assigned everyone as a result came as a welcome change in focus.

"Um, Rukia-san?" The diminuitive upperclassman snapped out of her post-club fatigue and threw on a polite smile as she turned in Soi Fong's direction, wiping a lone bead of sweat from her forehead in the process.

"Oh, hello. Soi Fong, right?" Rukia asked as she narrowed her eyes in attempted recollection, relaxing when Soi nodded in the affirmative. "Well, then--what do you need?"

"Rukia-san..." Soi began a bit nervously, but continued once she gathered her resolve. Just because Rukia was Byakuya's sister doesn't mean they're alike...right? "...I missed the test last weekend, and, um...I need to take it soon--that is, if it's not too much trouble."

"Oh really? You know, I was surprised when you didn't show up, Soi Fong-- you're probably one of the better students in my group."

"Uh, no, t-that's silly..." Soi lowered her head slightly, feeling more embarrassed about being praised than about her current situation.

"Okay," Rukia smiled, picking up on Soi's additude and not wanting to make her more uncomfortable than she clearly was. "...Just let me talk to nii-san and we'll get you set up. Does this Friday sound all right?"

"Y-yeah, that'd be great!" Soi smiled as the older girl walked towards her much-taller sibling, who was quietly talking to Renji about something. Soi sat there uncomfortably for a few minutes as the two Kuchiki children began to speak, too far away to be heard, until she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped.

"Geez, you still scare so easily," Yoruichi muttered with a satisfied grin as she continued drying her hair with a towel. Soi was about to chide the senior for startling her when she noticed the rather flattering tank top Yoruichi was wearing and decided instead to hide the growing blush on her face. "Hey, what's wrong?" the dark-skinned girl asked as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "...Are you getting sick again?" Fortunately (and especially since Soi had no answer to the question), Byakuya broke off from Renji and Rukia and came towards them, eyeing Soi calmly.

"...You want to take the Belt exam on Friday, correct?" Soi bowed low and confirmed his assertion with a nod.

"Very well, then," the steely-eyed upperclassman responded. "...Then be ready to take the exam at 4:30 sharp. I have a prior engagement and cannot afford to be late." Soi Fong promised that she would do so, but before she could walk away Yoruichi spoke up.

"Hey, Byakuya-kun... If you've got something to do, then I can give her the test--no problem." The freshman was about to smile gratefully at her sempai, certain now that she would pass, but Byakuya's response pulled the rug out from beneath her.

"I'm afraid not. You see, it's my philosophy that people should EARN the things that they want in life." It took a moment for Yoruichi to process what her fellow classmate was implying, upon which her cheerful disposition turned sour.

"...What's that supposed to mean?" Byakuya said nothing at first, only giving the two girls a look that made it clear he knew what Yoruichi's intentions were. "...If you're suggesting that I'd let her pass--"

"What I am suggesting, Shihouin-san," the eldest Kuchiki said calmly, "...Is that as her friend, you may feel inclined to give her...an unfair advantage over other students. Since I won't tolerate anyone who can't keep up with this program, I'd like to ensure that Miss Fong is capable of passing on her own." For a while, no one spoke, Yoruichi's face stuck somewhere between indignance and abhorrence, while Soi was wearing a renewed expression of anxiety. "...4:30 this Friday, Miss Fong. And don't bother showing up if you can't make it on time." Without another word, Byakuya left the two girls, rejoining his sister but wedging himself between a now-disgruntled Renji.


	16. With Flying Colors

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 16: With Flying Colors

With their current plan now in shambles, Soi was forced to train twice as hard as she had been intending to, even going so far as to practice Karate steps in her room late into the night. So it was unsurprising that she was fairly miserable for the remainder of the school week, as the lack of sleep was beginning to affect her.

"...Soi? Soi! HELLO!" With a great effort, the freshman managed to pull herself back to the present on the urging of Yoruichi's voice, where she was apparently walking home with the older girl and Urahara, the latter of whom was twirling his hat lazily on his index finger. "Geez," the older girl muttered concernedly as she took in the disheveled appearance of her friend, "...How are you doing this and studying for mid-terms, too?"

"I...I get by," Soi answered noncomittally as she failed to stifle a wide yawn. She didn't want to reveal how much of a toll all this was taking on her-- sure, the prospect of moving up a level in Karate and of the quickly approaching Summer break was effective motivation, but right now it seemed like there wasn't going to be any pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.

"This isn't very healthy for you, Soi."

"Oh, no," Kisuke interrupted casually, tired of playing with his headgear and finally placing it on his crown, "...Don't discourage her, Yoru-chan... I'm sure Byakuya-kun will be very impressed when she shows up to take the test and can't stand on her own two feet." In spite of herself, Yoruichi laughed along with Kisuke, while Soi quickly became indignant.

"...Better to fail from over-working than to fail by laziness, Urahara-san," she muttered sarcastically, which silenced the upperclassman immediately and made Yoruichi laugh harder.

"My, my, you become so charming when you're deprived of sleep," Urahara quipped right back, his good humor remaining strong.

"Seriously," Yoruichi said to the other girl once she'd calmed down and had (quite literally) whacked some sense into Kisuke. "...You're not gonna last too long like this. You really should be resting." Soi nodded absentmindedly, as her mind had already left the conversation and was brooding over the massive workload the evening had in store for her.

The freshman groaned in relief as she victoriously slammed the cover of _An Introduction to Western Literature_ shut. It had been hours since she'd been home, and it felt like even longer since she'd eaten dinner, the only half-hour break in her pre-testing and homework marathon. Glancing at the alarm clock and seeing that it was nearly 10:00, Soi pulled herself away from her bedside desk and did a few stretches, preparing to go over her Karate steps again when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"...Dad? Are you still up?" Soi asked uncertainly as she twisted the handle, only to find Yoruichi standing there, looking slightly annoyed. "Y...Yoruichi-san! What are you doing here so late?"

"Your dad let me in. Did I wake you up?" the older girl asked seriously. Sensing uncharacteristic frustration in her friend's voice, Soi answered slowly.

"...No, I've been up all this ti--"

"Damnit Soi, I TOLD you that you need to get some sleep, didn't I!" The freshman blinked in surprise at Yoruichi's exclamation, then turned indignant after a moment.

"Well, I'm sorry if I had to finish my homework so I don't fail these classes!"

"You're not going to fail from ignoring a few pages of bookreading! Your health's more important than that!" Yoruichi shot right back. Soi was about to argue the point further when she admitted to herself that Yoruichi was correct, as unthinkable as the idea of purposely skipping an assignment was.

"...Look, Yoruichi-san, don't worry. I just need to go over my Karate steps again and then I'll go to bed." Yoruichi was about to refuse, to force Soi to lay down and make sure she got at least a few hours rest, to tell her that if she wasn't ready for the test by now then she may as well give up, but upon seeing the determined look on her friend's face, the older girl heaved a sigh.

"...All right. But promise me that after this you're going to sleep." Soi nodded in agreement, despite the fact that she had been wanting to go through it at least three times before she went to bed. "I'm just going to go get some water from the kitchen. As for you..." The younger girl didn't have time to protest as Yoruichi pushed her back onto the bed.

"Hey!" Soi exclaimed, her face burning as the strange thoughts she'd had yesterday about Yoruichi suddenly resurfaced. "What are you d--"

"Just try to relax for a minute," the older girl said sternly as she opened Soi's bedroom door again. "...I'll be right back." When Yoruichi had gone, Soi plopped against the bed, breathing a sigh of relief (or disappointment, she wasn't sure which) as it suddenly occured to her how soft and cool the bed was.

"Okay Soi, if you really wanna do thi--" Yoruichi began as she re-entered her friend's room, only to find the girl in question snoring quietly atop her worn comforter, drooling slightly onto the fabric as she slept. Yoruichi smiled as she shook her head, chuckling to herself about how stubborn the freshman was. She briefly considered waking Soi Fong up to do her routine quickly, but thought better of it when she saw how worn-out her friend looked.

_Idiot,_ Yoruichi thought exasperatedly as she continued to smile. _I told you..._

Working slowly to avoid waking her friend up, Yoruichi pulled the covers back as much as Soi's obstructing body would allow, then gently scooped her friend up in her arms, surprised at how small and light she felt.

"Mnn...whassat?" Soi mumbled incoherently as she struggled to throw off her fatigue, only barely aware of how close to Yoruichi she was right now. "...I...I gotta finish my stuff for tomorrow..."

"Soi Fong," Yoruichi said with a sigh as she put the younger girl on the right side of the bed, placing her head gently on the pillow while shoving her under the covers. "...The only thing you need to worry about is sleep, okay?"

"But...I...I've got my...test and..." In spite of her near-comatose state of being, Soi was putting up a valiant effort to remain conscious. The older girl, however, silenced her at once.

"Shh... No more talking, okay?"

"...'kay..." Soi managed as the softness of the pillow overwhelmed her, sending her into the depths of slumber within moments. She didn't make another sound as Yoruichi carefully pulled the sheets over her, the dark-skinned woman smiling at how easily her friend had acquiesced, content that she would at least be getting to sleep later than her father had been mentioning. Yoruichi stood over her for a moment, watching Soi sleep peacefully and feeling an odd sort of contentment from the sight. She had the strongest urge all of a sudden to plant a kiss right on Soi's forehead, but she dismissed it as maternal instinct before plopping into the Chinese girl's deskchair.

_Well, it's too late to call Kisuke, and if I started walking now I'd still be home around 11:30..._

She was still debating over whether she should just stay the night or not when her head slumped forwards and she collapsed onto the desk.

Soi mumbled as the alarm clock woke her up, feeling incoherent and lazy until she looked at the numbers lit up in red and comprehension hit her.

"Oh shit..." she mumbled as she ran to the closet, the slamming open of which made Yoruichi flinch in her sleep but not awaken. The sound of her friend nearby made Soi do a double-take, surprised not only by the fact that Yoruichi was still here but what she was doing sleeping in her uncomfortable wooden chair. "Yoruichi-san?...Yoruichi-san!" Upon placing a hand on the older girl's shoulder and shaking her vigorously, Yoruichi finally forced herself awake, muttering something about "five more minutes" as she did so.

"Oh...Morning, Soi..." Yoruichi began lazily as she ironed out the crease in her shirt, but the younger girl was in no mood for a casual greeting.

"Yoruichi, what are you doing! Why were you here all night--in fact, why were you here at all? I shouldn't have been sleeping; I needed to go over my Karate again, but now I'm gonna fail and--"

"Whoa, whoa..." Yoruichi said firmly as she rubbed her forehead, trying to give herself time to think clearly. "...Just calm down for a minute, okay?"

"But if I fail the test today, then I won't be able to take it for another week, and we're getting out of school in a w--"

"Soi, just CALM DOWN!" Once the freshman had been frightened into silence, and Yoruichi had taken a chance to catch up with the situation, she held Soi by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye. "...Okay...now just take a deep breath. DO IT," she said firmly when her friend gave her a skeptical look, but then acquiesced. "Feel better?"

"...A little," Soi admitted grudgingly as Yoruichi removed her hands from their place on the younger girl's arms, then stood up and walked to the door.

"Now get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs, okay?"

"...Fine..." the Chinese girl sighed as she walked back to her closet and pulled out a fresh uniform shirt.

"Oh, and Soi?"

"Hmm?" She grumbled, but stopped when she saw the reassuring look in Yoruichi's eye.

"...Don't worry. You're going to do just fine." With that, Yoruichi closed the door, a few moments after which Soi Fong began to get dressed, feeling slightly less stressed than before.

"Ahh, good morning, Soi," her father said warmly as the girl in question descended the stairs. "...I hope you didn't give your friend too much trouble." Soi blinked in surprise as she walked past Yoruichi bent over the counter and gave her father a light hug.

"...What do you mean?" She didn't notice Yoruichi suddenly turn around and indicate that her father not answer the question, but unfortunately for the upperclassman he was busy attending to his coffee.

"Well, yesterday before you got here, Yoruichi called and asked if you'd been up late this week. I wasn't going to say anything at first, but she said she was worried about y--"

"Who wants breakfast!" Yoruichi interrupted forcefully, only just barely hiding her desire to change the subject of conversation. Soi picked up on her friend's evasiveness, but decided that it wasn't anything important and played along. Instead she leaned in towards her dad while the older girl put a few plates of something on the table.

"...Hey dad..."

"What is it, honey? You know you don't need to whisper in front of your friend..." the older man answered, casually taking a sip of his coffee in the process.

"Yoruichi said you let her in last night. Don't you usually go to bed before 9:00?" Her father opened his mouth as if to speak, but seemed to think it better to say nothing instead, which only confirmed Soi's suspicions. "...Dad, don't tell me you're working late again..."

"Soi Fong, it's only been for a few days," the Fong family patriarch said firmly, but still quietly enough that Yoruichi, with her back turned, didn't notice. "...Now I'm going to be all right, okay? I've just had to put in a lot of extra time on this case. Trust me," he added upon seeing the worried look on his daughter's face. Soi nodded quietly just as Yoruichi tried to get their attention.

"Um, I don't wanna interrupt the family meeting," she quipped with a grin, "...But food's ready." Soi turned away from her father and sat down, only just noticing what was laying in huge stacks on a plate at the middle of the table.

Toast. She turned to Yoruichi confusedly, then began to laugh once she caught the knowing look in the upperclassman's eye.

"...What's so funny?" Soi's father asked with an arched eyebrow, not catching the private joke.

"It's...nothing," the girl answered once she'd calmed down.

_All right. Just try to relax,_ Soi told herself as she sat on the Karate mat, waiting for her instructor to arrive. The zero hour was finally upon her, and the way Byakuya was making her wait was only making her more nervous. It was nearly five minutes after 4:30, but it felt like years to the freshman, who was certain she'd have a heart attack before the long-haired upperclassman got here.

_Okay, breathe in, breathe out..._

She tried to repeat the meditation exercise she'd learned over the course of the last few months, but after a few attempts that only brought her near hyperventilation, she abandoned the attempt. She doubted if her mind was in any state to meld with the cosmos anyway.

"...Are you ready, Miss Fong?"

Soi nearly jumped out of her gi at the sound of Byakuya's voice, only a few feet away from her and rapidly approaching. He had his hair down low over his eyes, ungelled, but the dark irises were as cold and stoic as ever. She'd heard that Byakuya had a habit of sneaking up on people, but it seemed like a mere exaggeration compared to this ability to almost appear out of nowhere.

"Y-yes, Kuchiki-sensei," Soi bowed low, her sudden movement making the hoops on the ends of her braids clink against one another. Byakuya took no notice of this, however, and merely walked past to the other end of the plastic mat.

"You are here to take the personal test for Yellow rank, correct?" Soi nodded her assent, and the upperclassman continued. "You will be allowed three mistakes. Any missteps, any hesitations you make will count as an error. Once you've accumulated three errors, the test will be considered a failure and you must wait at least a week to re-take this test. Is that clear?"

Soi was certain her eyes would have popped out of her head if she didn't have better self-control. Three mistakes? No one mentioned that! She knew the routine, certainly, but not so well that she'd be able to do it flawlessly... she felt her heart pounding inside her chest, her brain telling her to get out, to run away. If she was just going to fail at this point, then what purpose would there be in re-taking the test? To her brain's amazement, Soi slowly nodded 'yes' instead.

"Very well," Byakuya said with a nod of his own. "...Please go through the proper stances first."

_Oh, God. Stances...okay, let's see,_ Soi thought desperately, trying to hold onto the knowledge even as she was losing it. She knew these routines, so why couldn't she remember it?...

"Miss Fong? I'm waiting."

"J-Just a minute," Soi answered hastily, her feet spread apart as her mind was going blank.

"Very well-- that's your first error."

_...What!_ Soi wanted to yell at Byakuya, tell him that she was nervous and wasn't sure what to do, but restrained herself once she considered that it would only get worse for her if she was rude. Instead she felt her eyes wander the room, anxiety getting the better of her, looking desperately for some way, any way, to escape--

And then she saw her. Outside one of the low windows, warming up the room with the sun's gradually waning light, stood that unmistakable silouhette. For a minute Soi felt outraged, angry. She hated it when people she knew watched her do anything, it always ended up giving her a nervous breakdown. But somehow, her aggravation failed on her. She felt...calmer instead, more confident. A little bit more secure, like it was just them at practice.

"Sorry," the freshman said as a slight smile found its way to her lips. "...I think I'm ready now."

"Wait here," Byakuya said once he and Soi had bowed to each other, indicating the test was over. When the young man had traveled beyond auditory reach, Soi heaved a massive sigh of relief. She had to admit, the test had gone...much better than she had thought. Once she'd calmed down, the whole routine had come to her so easily, so smoothly. He'd tried to trip her up with a few other techniques, asking her for things that she didn't think were on the Yellow belt test, but her rather extensive training with Yoruichi had definitely paid off in that respect. At the same time, she'd kind of been zoning out at some point, so she'd probably made at least one more mistake...

Her train of thought was stopped as Byakuya walked back into the room, carrying something in the sleeve of his gi.

"Here," he said casually as he pulled out something vermilion-colored and handed it to Soi. She accepted it with a bow, trying to hold back her excitement, which quickly faded to confusion.

"Um...Kuchiki-sensei?" Byakuya paused and turned as he was walking away. "...I...I think you made a mistake. T-this is the Orange belt."

"...I don't make mistakes, Miss Fong," the Black-belt said evenly as Soi's eyes grew wider, comprehension sinking in gradually but undeniably.

_Two whole levels up!_

"B-but how is that...?"

"That extra material I had you do," the Kuchiki boy said in his calm monotone, "...Is part of the Orange rank test. You were doing a little too well on Yellow, so I decided to see just how capable you were. It would seem that your little practices with Yoruichi-san have been paying off." Soi's astonishment became more pronounced once Byakuya mentioned their practices.

"H...How do you know about those?"

"You don't really think you went unnoticed, did you?" Byakuya asked. " I even asked Yoruichi-san about them, since they are technically an unfair advantage. She was certain that you were up to it, though, and so I allowed her to continue. Her trust in you has been far from misplaced, Miss Fong." Soi blushed at the compliment, in spite of her own feelings of inadequacy. Yoruichi really thought that she could do something like this?

"T-thank you, Kuchiki-sensei!" Soi blurted out, a little louder than she meant to.

"...You'll be under Abarai-san this next semester, so be prepared to extend those practices if you must," Byakuya called as he headed out the gym door. Soi followed a while after, dazed at her success and only feeling even gladder when Yoruichi greeted her with a congratulatory bearhug and her trademark wide grin.


	17. Crowning Impossibility

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 17: Crowning Impossibility

"Now, then," Sosuke Aizen adressed his homeroom just before the last bell, "...By now most of you have completed the majority of your mid-term tests, correct?" There was a general nod of assent among the students of Class 4-E, after which the bespectacled teacher continued. "I'm sure that many of you are of the impression that the teacher likes to 'go easy' on students for the last class of the term. I, however, am NOT one of them...And Miss Shiba, refrain from showing such disrespect or you willl be punished harshly."

Kuukaku made no response as she ceased her not-too-subtle mockery of Aizen, having heard this tirade before twice; she simply slumped back into her chair. She doubted Aizen could do anything terribly threatening to her, but the girl decided not to test her luck today. After a few moments spent giving Kuukaku a stony gaze, Aizen continued.

"...I'm not, however, without mercy. If there's anything you don't understand about the material, feel free to ask me and I'll go over it with you in detail." Half-a-minute later the tone sounded, announcing the end of the school day, and the class slowly began to file out once they'd bowed to their instructor. Yoruichi and Kuukaku walked straight to the door, passing a group of slower students who were lining up to get help from Aizen. Suddenly Kuukaku groaned as a smaller girl bumped into her, coming in from outside the hall.

"OW! Hey, watch i--" She did a double-take when she saw who it was, a petite girl with a scared-mouse face and her hair tied up in a bun. "Oh... Sorry, Hinamori-chan."

"I-It's alright," the class representative for their homeroom said quietly as she accepted a hand up from Yoruichi, bending down to grab her fallen notebook once she had her feet firmly planted on the floor again. "...It's my fault anyway for going against the crowd."

"Did you forget something?" Yoruichi asked curiously.

"N-no," Momo answered as she glanced down at the tile floor. "...I just, um...I needed to talk to Sosuk-- I mean, Aizen-sensei," she corrected before the other two girls had time to let the confused looks they were preparing appear on their faces. As if he could hear her thoughts, the teacher in question called out to the tiny girl.

"Miss Hinamori!"

"I-I'm coming, Aizen-sensei!" Momo stuttered as she bumped past Kuukaku again, as though at the sound of Aizen's voice she could neither see or hear anything else.

"...Man, talk about your crushes," the taller of the two upperclassman muttered dismissively as they walked away from the dreaded classroom. "...So, are you gonna ask her?"

"...Huh?" Yoruichi blinked, as the weeklong academic gauntlet had been occupying her thoughts of late.

"You know," Kuukaku chided with a roll of the eyes, "...That Soi Fong kid, about your summer plans this year! And don't tell me you didn't get the place 'cause I wanna--"

"No, no, I rented it for a week, just like we decided," the Shihouin girl said with a steadying wave. "...It's just that...well...she's not really the 'partying' type, and I don't wanna make her uncomfortable." At the sound of a mocking chuckle from her companion, Yoruichi's brow narrowed slightly. "What?"

"Whatever-- that's all the more reason TO bring her, I say. That girl's too tight-strung...It'd do her some good to unwind." Yoruichi had to admit that her friend was right, even if the idea of Soi being the only freshman in a group of most-likely-drunk seniors didn't sit well with her. Hopefully, she could just _forget _to ask her, and then there wouldn't be any problem... "Oh hey, speak of the devil," Kuukaku said while pointing further up the hall. Yoruichi blanched slightly as she followed her friend's gaze to see Soi Fong walking towards them, oblivious to their presence thanks to the textbook she was trying to look over at the last minute. "Hey, kid!"

Soi recognized Kuukaku's obnoxious voice and noticed her slightly out of the corner of her eye, but was preparing to ignore the Shiba when she noticed who was accompanying her and the young girl's heart did a backflip. It was getting harder and harder to ignore this thing that would happen in Yoruichi's presence ever since the Karate test.

"H-Hi, Yoruichi-san!" Soi greeted the dark girl, completely oblivious to the other girl. Kuukaku was about to 'discipline' the freshman for being so rude, but decided instead to roll her eyes and ignore what had happened.

"Hey, Soi."

"What's up, kid?" Soi's smile evaporated the second she was forced to acknowledge Kuukaku, which she did with a slight, half-hearted bow. An awkward silence passed for a minute before Yoruichi decided to break the ice.

"Uh, how was your Lit final?"

"Oh! It...it went pretty well," Soi said, even as she was trying to talk herself into banishing the smile that had reappeared on her face, as she feared it made her look like an idiot.

"Hey, look," Yoruichi began as people continued to file past them, heading out the front door. "...Soi, what are you doing next week?"

"Hmm? Not too much, I don't think," the Chinese girl said quickly, only skimming the short mental list of activities she had planned. Suddenly, the significance of Yoruichi's query hit her, and a thought occurred to the girl that threatened to turn her already red face to an unhealthy purple.

_Is...does she want to do something with...with ME?_

"W...Why?" she managed to finish before she popped a blood vessel.

"Well, y'see, since this is our last summer break before college...and by 'our' I mean Kisuke, Kuukaku and I... We decided to rent a beach house out of town this year. And, well, since we're trying to get a bunch of people to come with us, I thought I'd ask if you wanted to come." Soi blinked while the weight of Yoruichi's request hit her, unable to believe that this wasn't some sort of joke.

"A...A beach house? But...but those are so expensive!" Soi exclaimed, forgetting briefly that with Yoruichi's money, she could easily afford to buy an entire beach for herself.

"Hey...it's no trouble," Yoruichi said even as she gave Kuukaku a significant glare that the other girl chose to ignore blithely.

"W-well, maybe...I'd have to ask my Dad, okay?" Soi said as evenly as she could. "...How long would it be?"

"Not long," Yoruichi answered as she shifted her books from her right arm to her left one. "Just a week."

_A whole week..._

"O-okay!" Soi said as she hobbled away, nearly forgetting in her flustered state which direction her locker was in.

"Be sure to tell me by tomorrow if you're coming, okay?" Yoruichi smiled as Soi headed off. She didn't have anything to worry about as far as the freshman was concerned, though. The idea of a week with Yoruichi, even shared with a few other people, was enough to make her certain that she NEEDED to go on this trip.

"Okay, do you have your sleeping bag?" Soi brought herself to a halt just short of the door at the sound of her father's voice.

"Yes, Dad," the girl answered impatiently as she adjusted the duffel bag on her shoulder, sliding open the zipper to go through her belongings. She was surprised at how easily her father had granted permission when Soi had first mentioned the beach house, but after a week of preparation the realization of what he had permitted hit him, and he seemed intent on worrying about his daughter all the way up to her departure.

"Now you're sure you have enough clothes, right?"

"Yes, Dad..."

"Okay, now be sure to say 'thank you' to your friends for inviting you, and--"

"Dad!" Soi finally exclaimed in frustration, but her eyes widened when she became aware of her additude and gave her father an apologetic bow. "...I'm sorry..."

"Oh, it's all right," the older man said with a shrug. "...I just want you to be safe, okay? But...be sure to have fun, too. These years won't come around again, you know," he amended with a teasing smile. A few moments later there was a knock at the door, to which he called, "The door's open!" and Yoruichi poked her head out from the other side, not wanting to take her shoes off and come in.

"Hey, Soi! What's the hold-up? We gotta get on the road!"

"O-okay!" Soi answered with an excited smile, turning to give her father a quick goodbye before running to follow her friend out the door. "Bye, Dad!" He followed Soi to the door and waved her off, wondering as the group drove off in Kisuke's car if he'd imagined the blush on his daughter's face.

"WOO-HOO!" Kuukaku yelled once Urahara had maneuvered his two-door sedan onto the highway, startling the vehicle's other occupants. "This is gonna kick ass!"

"Oh, hey--thanks for taking my seat, Kuukaku," Yoruichi groaned from the cramped backseat where she and Soi were crammed like sardines.

"Well, hey-- finders keepers," the rowdy young woman with a grin.

"Jeez, Shiba," Kisuke responded with a groan from the driver's seat, "...Keep this up and I'll have you switched with someone from Rangiku's ca--"

He stopped short on the urging of a sudden, dangerous look from his dark-skinned friend in the backseat, but Soi Fong had already come to an understanding.

"...Matsumoto-san's coming?"

"Uh..." Yoruichi began, worrying when she saw the color fade slightly from Soi's face. "...Yeah. See, SOMEHOW the word got out (at this she glared daggers at Kuukaku), and then a bunch of seniors wanted to come, so we just...decided to make a party out of it..." she drifted off uneasily, wondering if Soi would want to leave after learning about this.

"Oh, that's okay!" Yoruichi and Kisuke blinked in unison at the young girl's suspiciously enthusiastic response, the latter of whom nearly missed the exit for the next highway in his shock.

"...Are you sure?" The blonde upperclassman asked, eyeing Soi through his rearview mirror and noting that she seemed unable to meet his gaze.

"Y-Yeah. I mean, you guys were nice enough to invite me-- I don't have any right to complain about who you invite. Besides, I like Matsumoto-san." Yoruichi looked at the younger girl uneasily before turning to look out the window, and after a few minutes of awkward silence Kuukaku complained about the lack of music and promptly turned up the radio. Soi hadn't been lying when she said she didn't mind Rangiku's attendance-- it was her boyfriend that she was worried about.

4 hours, two pit-stops and a hurried meal curteousy of a greasy little-off road burger pit later, the quartet heaved a sigh of relief as they stretched their legs upon reaching their destination.

"...So, what do you guys think?" Yoruichi said with a self-satisfied grin as she indicated the house she'd managed to acquire-- a spacious, yet cozy looking two-story house, sitting less than a stone's throw from the sea. Kuukaku gave an appraising nod (ignoring a struggling Urahara's wordless pleas for help with the mountain of luggage he was swamped under), while Soi stared, wide-eyed, until she managed to utter an impressed grunt. "Hmph," Yoruichi grinned at the youngest's face as she gave her hair a light tousle. "You're so easy to please, Soi-- much better than SOMEONE around here."

"...What's that supposed to mean?" Kuukaku sneered as she took the hint from Kisuke and grabbed the red cooler sitting in the back, groaning slightly under its weight.

"Nothing," Yoruichi said as she withdrew her hand and Soi felt a slight tinge of disappointment, which she was able to hide when the older woman looked in her direction. "Come on, let's get unpacked."

"Anyone here?" Rangiku called out as she pushed the unlocked front door to the beach-house ajar, her emerald eyes widening at the grandeur of the building.

_Wow,_ the blonde mouthed wordlessly as she picked up the spare bag she'd put down to open the door. _Way to go, Yoruichi..._

"Hey, Rangiku!" Yoruichi said jovially as she came to greet her friend. "Did you find the place okay?"

"Yeah, no problem-- everyone else is getting stuff now..." Rangiku began just as a tall, almost tomboyish looking girl with short white hair and a braid pushed past her. "Hey! Watch it!" The girl didn't respond at first; she set her heavy bags onto the floor and out of the way before she tried to speak through heavy breathing.

"S...Sorry...Rangiku...b...but...I...didn't really...have time to...apologize..." Before Yoruichi had a chance to say hello, a handful of other people came in-- a pair of young men, one with platinum blonde hair and the other sporting stubble to challenge even Kisuke and a ponytail to boot; this man was accompanied closely by a rather severe looking woman with glasses and a tight bun for a hairstyle. Yoruichi smiled as she looked at the boys, a warm sense of nostalgia that made her grab the blonde and give him a rough but playful headlock.

"OW! Not so hard, Yoruichi..." Ukitake said even as he began to laugh. He'd forgotten how strong the girl could be when she wanted to rough-house.

"You guys made it! Oh man, it's been way too long!" the dark-skinned girl laughed as she smacked the scraggly-looking teen in the back, making him double-over when coupled to the weight of his suitcase. "Hey, Kisuke! Get away from the damn stove and get out here!"

"...What?" her confidant called as he walked in, wearing a plain white apron that he'd doubled up and had tied around his waist. It took him a moment to register who was there when he saw them, then he, like Yoruichi, ran up and slapped both on the shoulder.

"Well, if it isn't you two! What's it been-- three years?"

"Somethin' like that," Ukitake said warmly. "Oh, and by the way, Renji called; he and Rukia are driving here on their own and'll be here tomorrow."

"Hmph. I can only imagine what THEY'LL be doing," Rangiku said with a suggestive grin, to which the quartet laughed loudly.

"Oh! Rangiku-chan!" the ponytailed boy said with a lecherous grin, as he'd just noted her presence. "...I haven't seen you for awhile! How 'bout a h--" He was cut off in mid-sentence not by the blonde's fist, but by an elbow to the gut from the stoic young woman beside him.

"Watch it, Shunsui," she said simply, but it was enough to make her male counterpart straighten up immediately.

"Hey, who's this?" Kisuke asked when he noticed the girl.

"Oh! I'm glad you asked!" Shunsui grinned as he put an arm around her. "She's my girlf--"

"I'm Nanao Ise," she finished after slapping Kyoraku's hand away, then extending it in a gesture of greeting.

"Hey, Yoruichi-san!" Soi called as she came down the stairs. "...Have you seen my-- Oh...Hello, everyone," the freshman amended upon seeing the crowd gathered there, feeling her enthusiasm for the week evaporate as she did so. She hadn't thought there'd be THIS many people here, all of whom were at least two years older than her.

"Oh, good-- You can meet everyone!" the older girl said with a smile, not noticing that most of the people behind her had gotten a little downcast at having their reunion marred by the presence of an underclassman. As one, however, they all seemed to hide their disappointment when Yoruichi turned back around. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Soi Fong. Soi, this is Isane (the short-haired girl smiled a greeting), Shunsui (he nodded politely at the Chinese girl), Ukitake (he waved a kindly 'hello' in her direction), and, uh...Shinsui's girlfriend..."

"It's 'Nanao,'" the bespectacled girl corrected smoothly.

"Right," Yoruichi admitted with a roll of the eyes. Soi gave the group as a whole a low bow, muttering through a blush that she hoped she wouldn't be a bother. Instead of dejected muttering, however, she was surprised at the collective 'Aww' that issued from the upperclassmen.

"...Huh?" Soi managed to get out before Ukitake came up and patted her on the head.

"Where'd you find this girl, Yoruichi? She's so cute!"

_...Cute?_ Soi wondered, uncertain if she should be flattered or offended for being thusly patronized. She looked desperately at Yoruichi as the seniors crowded her, asking about herself, but the older girl only gave Soi a teasing grin.

"Well, then," Kisuke called to get his friend's attention, "...There's lunch in the kitchen, an--" He stopped upon noticing an all-too-familiar face come in from outside, a silver-haired grinning boy carrying a large suitcase behind him. "Oh, uh...Hey, Gin."

"...Well, now..." Ichimaru said teasingly as he set the luggage down in front of him, "...No need ta stop talkin' on my account..." That was exactly what they did, however-- Soi and Yoruichi, along with Kisuke, stared at the freshman's nemesis uneasily, while everyone else who was unaware of their 'history' only stood still, as the negative energy passing between the four was beyond palpable.

"Um...Did I miss something?"

The whole room jumped at the sound of Kuukaku's voice, who appeared out of the kitchen with a half-eaten fried-noodle sub in her right hand.

"N...No," Rangiku said with an uncomfortable smile. "...We were just going to go eat."

"Oh...Uh, yeah. Come on, guys," Urahara said as he motioned the group into the next room. Before Gin could follow, his girlfriend grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled his ear to her mouth.

"Not so fast, you," she whispered dangerously. Gin's smile faded when Rangiku released him, and at the urging of one of the woman's angry nods he turned to Soi Fong.

"...What do you want?" Soi asked through narrowed eyes while Yoruichi leveled Ichimaru with an equally cold glare. Gin gave Rangiku an exasperated look, as if he was a child being forced to eat a much-dejected meal, but she slapped him on the arm and he proceeded.

To the utter surprise of the other two girls, Gin gave Soi a small bow.

"...Wanted ta' apologize." He said simply, and the buxom girl behind him gave a satisfied nod. "...Rangi--(slap)...I...shouldn'ta been pickin' on ya..." he muttered as he rubbed the bright red mark on his face where his girlfriend had given him a disciplinary hit. No one said anything for a moment, during which Yoruichi pulled Soi close and gave her some whispered advice.

"...You're not gonna believe this bastard, are you?" To her surprise, Soi ignored her and gave a slight huff.

"Well," she said with an air of assumed confidence to the silver-haired upperclassman, "...I guess it's fine. But..." she said with a sudden severity, "...I'll let you off the hook if you just leave me alone." Gin stared at her interestedly, surprised that his prey hadn't used his awkward position to bargain for something more humiliating. And he wouldn't admit it, but that punch of hers had definitely been one of the worse ones he'd suffered in years...

"...Deal," he said simply as he turned away from the two girls and headed for the kitchen, followed shortly thereafter by his girlfriend.


	18. A Day at the Beach

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 18: A Day at the Beach

While it couldn't be argued that Gin Ichimaru was a cold bastard, he did at least seem to be a man of his word. He didn't make any attempt to bother Soi for the rest of the day-- in fact, it seemed like he was going out of his way to ignore her, becoming deaf when she casually requested that he pass the salt at lunch or refusing to acknowledge her presence when she walked into a room. Soi didn't mind this treatment at all, but Yoruichi was far from satisfied with the bully's additude and voiced it privately to her friend on occasion.

"...Seriously, if you want me to beat him up, I can make it happen REAL easy," the Black-belt said through the side of her mouth after Gin had bumped into Soi, acting like she wasn't there.

"Come on, Yoruichi-san," Soi rresponded with a bit of exasperation. "...It's no big deal. And besides, I'll take that over being beaten up any day." Yoruichi wanted to contend that after how Ichimaru had treated her he could at least have the decency to be civil, but the likelihood of that occuring coupled with Soi's disinterested contentment finally made the older girl drop the issue.

"Hey, why are you guys so glum?" Rangiku asked from atop the stairs, where she had just finished brushing her teeth. "Come on-- we're going swimming today!"

"Really?" Soi asked uncomfortably. "I thought that it was supposed to be rainy today..."

"Where'd you hear that?" the blonde wondered in disbelief. "No way--nothin' but blue skies and clear seas 'til Saturday!"

"G-great," Soi answered with as much false enthusiasm as she could muster while Matsumoto headed to her room to change. Soi was about to head down the hallway when Yoruichi stopped her.

"...Somethin' wrong?"

"N-no..."

"Really?" Yoruichi asked skeptically. "...You didn't seem too enthused about swimming...You DO know that's the main reason we came, right?" Soi had figured as much, but she was so excited by both the idea of spending time with Yoruichi and of coming to the ocean (which she hadn't seen since she was a little girl) that she'd forgotten the most important thing.

"I...I forgot to...bring a swimsuit," Soi muttered as she stared at the floor. Yoruichi nodded in understanding, then was silent for a moment as she considered the options.

"Well, you're not...ahem...big enough (Soi wondered if she was burning up enough to melt straight through the ground) to wear one of mine... Hey, I know! I'll drive you into town and you can choose one for yourself!" Soi's eyes widened to the size of serving trays. Alone? With Yoruichi? Looking at...

_Goddamnit, Soi!_ the girl ordered herself angrily. _Get your mind out of the gutter!_

"Hey, what is it?" Yoruichi queried as she leaned down and caught a glimpse of Soi's look of mixed desire and confusion.

"N-n-nothing," Soi fibbed, trying to avoid Yoruichi's gaze as she stood rooted to the spot. "You...you don't have to do t-that, Yoruichi-san...I'll just, um...just read on the beach." The older woman didn't respond at first, but Soi did notice the look of disappointment on her features.

"...Are you sure? You're really okay with doing THAT?"

"...Yeah," Soi said as she threw on a smile and walked past her friend.

"Okay, if that's what makes you happy..." Yoruichi shrugged as she headed off to change.

As the freshman sat on the beach towel, wearing an oversized plain-white T-shirt over her underwear, she couldn't help but regret her decision.

_...Why the hell did I say 'no?'_

No matter how many times she tried to ask herself that question, she could never offer herself a straight answer. It was strange that she wanted to be around Yoruichi, but lately the comfortable vibe she'd had before was being replaced by an unnerving sense of tension. Yoruichi had only wanted to take her to the store, for God's sake, but she'd balked for no reason! Soi heaved a sigh as she put her book down briefly, then gazed at the nearby shoreline.

Nanao was in a plain, dark-green one-piece, more than able to swim but opting to follow in Soi's footsteps by reading a complicated-looking text instead. Rukia and Renji had arrived an hour after breakfast, and were busy building an elaborate sandcastle at the water's edge (Soi actually laughed at the sight-- it seemed that Rukia was more interested in the innocent pursuit of sand architecture while her other half seemed more focused on finding a shady spot that wouldn't be looked in on too quickly). Finally, Soi's eyes drifted a little further out to sea to find Yoruichi and Kuukaku single-handedly challenging Kisuke, Shunsui and Ukitake to water-wrestling, a contest that the two were easily winning on their own. The freshman smiled to herself as she watched her sempai yank Urahara into the surf, grinning victoriously all the while. That was her Yoruichi-san-- such a strong, vibrant, exuberant, gorgeous...

Soi blinked furiously at her last thought, her face going red even as she tried to assure herself that her idle thought hadn't meant anything. Of course she thought Yoruichi was beautiful--she'd have to be blind not to notice that! But she only thought that as a girl admiring another girl--that was all.

_...But then,_ Soi thought as her eyes drifted back to a very scantily clad Yoruichi, her smile almost hypnotically radiant even in her decidely unfeminine activity, _...why can't I stop looking at her?_

"...Hey, what are you doing?"

"AAH!" Soi yelped as a quiet voice suddenly brought her back to the present, tossing her book into the air in the process. She turned and was about to yell when she noticed the short-haired girl standing a few feet behind her, clothed in a long tank-top style bikini that seemed more like a bodysuit compared to the held-together-by-threads look of the lounging Rangiku's outfit.

"S-sorry," Isane apologized with a little bow that reminded Soi of herself a bit. "...I...I just saw you sitting alone, a-and I wondered if...if you wanted some c-company. Oh, here--I'll go get your book..." Soi went from startled to very confused within the course of a few seconds. This girl didn't seem to fit her image of a Junior at all-- she was stuttering slightly, had the faintest traces of a blush on her lean face. It almost seemed like she was nervous about talking to Soi, but for the life of her the Chinese girl couldn't understand why. Isane picked the tome up and was about to hand it back to Soi when she lifted the cover to her face.

"...What is it?" Soi asked casually, as she wasn't really interested in what the other girl had to say.

"Oh, n-nothing," Isane said with a shrug as he returned the book to its owner. "I just...well, I've read that book, too. Well, 'bye," the girl said quickly as she cursed herself for getting so flustered-- why did she always have to get that way around people she was...interested in?

"Wait!" Soi called and Isane turned to see the freshman's eyes narrow slightly in intrigue. She wasn't really doing anything important, so what could it hurt to engage in a litte friendly conversation? "...Did you like it? The book, I mean." Isane lit up just a little bit at the slight drop in Soi's autonomous personality.

"Oh, y-yeah! It's one of my favorites! I've actually read it..." at this the girl began to tap on her fingers in succession from pinky to thumb, "...about 8 times."

"Really? So have I!" Soi said enthusiastically, happy in spite of herself that someone else here had common interests with her. "Well, actually I've read all the books in the series about 3 times each, but I can't put this one down, no matter how many times I read it!"

"I know! I love this guy's writing..." Isane began as a Yoruichi made her way up to the two girls.

"Hey, Soi!"

"Oh, H--...Hi, Yoruichi-san..." Soi said as her cheerful greeting turned into an embarrassed mumble. She'd nearly forgotten that Yoruichi was here in her getting acquainted with Isane, but seeing the older girl with her dark, elegant hair matted around her face and shoulders (not to mention the way her skin shimmered slightly from the seawater's moisture that remained on her) made her presence all but indelible from Soi's mind. Yoruichi smiled at Isane as well, but the Junior didn't catch the less-than-sincere undercurrent to her grin.

"...What are you doing, Kotetsu?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just, uh...talking to Soi Fong." Isane said as though she had nothing to hide. Yoruichi gave the girl an almost accusatory look before turning back to her friend.

"So, are you SURE you don't wanna come in? The water's great!"

"P-p-pretty sure," Soi answered as she forced herself to look away, only to find that the image of Yoruichi in her bikini was now burned into her brain.

"...All right," Yoruichi said as she ran back, waving at a Kuukaku impatient to beat the boys again.

_Stupid,_ Soi thought as she watched the older woman go, not even making an attempt to listen as Isane began talking about the book again.

Soi Fong waved goodbye to Isane as she headed up toward the house, nodding incoherently as the other girl mentioned through a blush that she'd like to visit with her again tomorrow. The freshman wasn't sure how the hours had drifted away so quickly, but it was nearly dusk now and everyone was heading up the dune, torn between tired exhileration or hunger. Soi assured an intrigued Rangiku that she'd follow after them in a minute, then headed down to the shore. Yoruichi was still there, swimming against the cresting waves only to let them move her back towards the sand, breathing in the taste of the sea air, savoring the way the water washed over her skin. The upperclassman opened her eyes upon hearing the gentle pitter-patter of bare feet on sand, but instead of feeling intruded upon, she was actually rather glad.

"...So..." she asked with a teasing smile once Soi was within earshot, pulling herself into a sitting position with her legs still under the surface of the water, "...What did Isane want?"

"...Huh?" Soi asked, surprised by the question. "What do you mean?"

"Nothin'," the older girl answered without looking at her friend. "...Just looked like she was getting a little 'friendly' is all..." Soi's eyebrow furrowed a little bit at the odd accusation.

"...I don't know what you're talking about," the freshman answered after a moment. "...We were just talking. I really don't know her at all, though." After a moment, Yoruichi turned around, her smile firmly in place, making any apprehension Soi may have had dissipate.

"Well, what did you want, Soi?"

"Um..." Soi began uncertainly, as she didn't have much experience in asking for things. She didn't like the idea of owing Yoruichi more than she did, but if it meant she could be around her more... "I was...wondering if y-you could take me to...to get a swimsuit?" She was almost afraid Yoruichi would refuse, at least until she saw her friend's face light up.

"Well, now you're talkin' some sense!" Yoruichi said as she stood up, wading toward the petite girl calmly. "Well, I'll see if I can get the car from Kisuke and we'll go tomorrow, okay?"

"O-okay!" Soi said enthusiasically, not regretting in the slightest now that she had come to Yoruichi and asked-- at least, not until the tall girl picked her up in one swift motion and tossed her into the water.

"W...(koff)...what was that for!" Soi called in surprised horror as she pulled herself back to shore, shivering over Yoruichi's ecstatic chuckling. "G-god, i-i-it's c-c-cold!"

"What?" Yoruichi forced herself to speak as she wiped away a mirth-induced tear. "...I didn't do anything..."

"Y-y-you're m-m-mean!" Soi said as grumpily as she could, which wasn't much considering that she was shivering now to stop herself from breaking out into shared laughter.

"What? You look cute wet," the older girl teased as she indicated the now-transparent shirt clinging to Soi's body, and she gasped once she looked down to find her underwear visible, which only made Yoruichi double over with renewed giggling.

"S-shut up," Soi mumbled even as she began to laugh as well, trying to calm down enough to wrap herself in Yoruichi's nearby towel. It took them both a few minutes for their breathing to return to normal, at which point Yoruichi threw an arm around Soi's neck and pulled her up the beach with her.

"Come on, let's get back-- they'll think something's up." Soi caught the teasing smile and the wink in Yoruichi's eye, but she didn't have the slightest idea what the dark-skinned girl was implying. For her part, she was just glad she was alone with Yoruichi, even if she still didn't understand what the warmth inside her at her sempai's presence meant.


	19. Stirrings

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 19: Stirrings

Soi breathed a sigh of contentment as she climbed out of the shower, hanging her brand-new swimsuit (a black one-piece with a yellow stripe running down the right side) over the glass door as she wrapped a towel around herself. She couldn't believe how quickly the last few days had gone--she'd been enjoying Yoruichi's company so much that everything else seemed almost irrelevant.

_I wish we weren't leaving tomorrow,_ she thought sadly as she headed to her temporary room. But they were going to try to squeeze a couple more hours of swimming in before they left-- that meant... The image of Yoruichi in her bikini appeared unheeded in Soi's mind for about the hundredth time, but for once she did nothing to reject the memory. It had appeared so often over the last week in her mind's eye that she was slowly beginning to feel less adverse to it, almost welcoming it when it did happen upon her.

Soi closed her eyes slowly, feeling something strange happening to her as the thought lingered-- it was almost like she was wandering through a fog, waiting for that little voice that constantly berated her for thinking such things to scare some sense into her. She couldn't hear it this time, though-- instead there was a sweeter, gentler, almost seductive urging that told her that this was good, that told her not to fight, that was making her want to do things to herself that she'd never even considered doing before...

She wasn't aware of just how far her hand had gone down her waist until she heard a light knock on the door behind her. Soi snapped back to reality as though she'd been waiting for it, then pulled her towel back on as Yoruichi let herself in.

"Hey, Soi! What'cha d--"

"C-could I get a little privacy!" Soi yelled rather hysterically as she hugged the cloth to herself, the intensity of her actions making Yoruichi's eyes widen slightly in surprise. "...S-sorry," Soi muttered in shame once she realized what she had just done, her face burning brighter when the reality of what she had been interrupted from hit her full-on.

_Oh, Jesus...Was I just...?_

"Uh...hey, no problem," Yoruichi answered, shrugging off her friend's strange temprament as though it was nothing. She then tossed something onto Soi's bed; the freshman looked closer at the folded-up package and saw the hem of what looked like a silk robe. "...I just wanted to give you this." Still being careful to hold the towel up with one hand, Soi tore off the brown paper packaging and grabbed the neck of the outfit, unfolding it to reveal a silver yukata with a gold floral trim. Soi stared at the beautiful robe in surprise, speechless for a moment, then finally remembered that Yoruichi was standing there and decided to speak up.

"W-Why are you giving this to me?" Soi asked uncertainly.

"Well," Yoruichi began as she stepped further into the room, allowing Soi a glimpse of the small stack of similarly-packaged robes in her right arm, "...I was in town with Kisuke today (Soi felt herself bristle up at the mention that Urahara had been alone with Yoruichi, but it disappeared almost as soon as it had happened), and some of the locals were talking about a festival that's planned for tonight!"

"R...Really?" Soi asked as her eyes widened, an uncharacteristic bit of childlike glee sneaking through the cracks of her mature facade. "What holiday is it for?"

"...Dunno," Yoruichi shrugged, unabashed in her lack of knowledge on the issue. "All I know is that there'll be plenty of good food there. I haven't had the chance to go to one in a few years, so there's no way we're missing this!"

"Does everyone else know about this?"

"Heh-- soon enough, they will," Yoruichi answered with a grin as she left the room, leaving a Soi Fong alone with her thoughts again.

"For God's sake, kid-- just leave the damn obi alone," Kuukaku said irritably as the freshman adjusted the sash of her yukata for the eleventh time. The brash upperclassman was situated between Soi and Yoruichi (much to Soi's silent displeasure), dressed in a tight-fitting t-shirt and jeans on the basis that she 'didn't wanna wear that flowery crap' to the festival. Everyone else was at least willing to get into the spirit of the event-- Kisuke and the other boys had found some loose-fitting robes of their own with plain designs and simple colors, while even Nanao was adorned in a rather elegant golden one offset with white-stitched lilies. Soi, however, felt like even more of a sore thumb than she had before.

"Sorry, Shiba-san," the youngest of the group muttered with a combination of irritation and embarrassment as she tried to hike up the quickly-dirtying hem of her silver yukata. "...It's not my fault that this thing's too big."

"Sorry about that, Soi," Yoruichi apologized as she picked up her pace just enough to get her friend in sight. "...They were out of your size, so I just got the next biggest size. I hope that's okay..." Soi blinked, almost stared as she looked at Yoruichi and remembered why she had put distance between herself and the upperclassman. The older girl looked even more beautiful than before, adorned in a robe of shimmering lavender with overlapping designs of wildflowers stitched into the fabric and her hair tied back into a bun held in place with an elaborately carved hairpiece of striking topaz, the same color as those warm, hypnotic eyes...

"...Soi?" The girl's eyes widened when she realized she'd been staring, then had to think quickly so she wouldn't be found at a loss for words.

"Oh, uh, no...It's okay..." Soi breathed a sigh of relief as she looked away from the group, grateful that the low light of the nearby lanterns was insufficient to make the blush on her face visible. The others began talking amongst themselves the deeper in they went among the variety of stands and booths, all of them debating where to go and what to do first. Soi was only half-listening to their chatter, she was trying to pretend that she was interested in the nearby goldfish-catching games and not in her sempai's elegant profile, her mouth curled up in a smile as she teased Urahara about something that made everyone else in the group laugh as well. Soi wished that she could have heard it, that she could have been just a little closer so as to share in Yoruichi's laughter--

"H-hey!"

"...Huh?" Soi muttered as she turned to the voice's source and found Isane doubled over behind her, looking out of breath from running and hastily dressed in a kimono that looked almost second-hand, but was still a vibrant shade of aquamarine. That was when Soi remembered that she hadn't noticed the short-haired girl leave with them a half-hour ago. "Hey, where were you, Kotetsu-san?"

"Yeah, what happened?" Rangiku asked since the group had just noticed her and were forming a semi-circle around the girl, worriedly asking her if she needed to rest or other such things.

"W...well, I...I was just...shopping for dinner, like Yoruichi-san asked me to...and when I got...back, no one was there... I can't believe I almost missed this!" the silver-haired girl finished with a look of excitement as she indicated the lively chaos of the festival.

"Wait..." Shunsui began as he absentmindedly ran a thumb over his uneven stubble, "...Didn't Yoruichi call you while you were gone? About what we were doing tonight?"

"No," Isane answered with a confused shrug. "...I didn't have any messages, either-- I left my cell phone on the whole time I was gone." Soi Fong had a sudden inclination to turn to Yoruichi, who unfortunately seemed to be avoiding any eye contact with Isane, almost as though she had something to hide. "...Oh," the Junior said without warning as she turned to Yoruichi's best friend. "...Thanks for that note you left, Urahara! I wouldn't have known about this without you!"

"Oh, REALLY?" Yoruichi said with a wide smile plastered on her face, turning to the blonde boy and giving him a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. "...Good job, Kisuke...Oh, and I'm sorry I forgot to call you, Isane."

"Hey, it's no problem-- everyone makes mistakes," the girl said with a laugh, not noticing as Soi did the almost rigid undertone of the older girl's 'apology.'

_That's weird,_ the freshman thought quietly as she watched Yoruichi's seemingly earnest request for forgiveness. _Why would she not have wanted Isane here?_

"So," the Kotetsu girl said as she turned to Soi, seemingly forgetting the others in an instant, "...I s-saw you looking over t-there (Isane cursed the stutter playing on her lips again), and I w-was wondering..."

"...Wondering WHAT?" Yoruichi interjected even as she wondered where the slight hint of bitterness in her voice had come from and why it was there at all. She noticed everyone else looking at her a little oddly, but the dark girl stood her ground, not wanting to look repentant.

"W-well...S-Soi Fong," Isane said with a nervous smile, turning as far away from Yoruichi's scrutiny as she could, "...Do you wanna go check out the g-games?"

"No-- see, we were going to try to stick together, since it's crowded and all..." Yoruichi began, but she was interrupted by none other than Kisuke.

"Yoruichi, come on-- they're not children, and Isane's nearly eighteen... I'm pretty sure they'll be okay on their own."

"But--"

"Yeah, come on, Yoruichi," Ukitake smiled at her almost jokingly. "...You're not her mother, you know."

Yoruichi knew that he was just kidding, that he hadn't meant anything by it and that she would probably have laughed if it were about anyone else, but all of a sudden she had the strongest desire to hit the platinum-haired boy right in the face and tell him that if he ever made any jokes about Soi's family again she'd beat his brains out, but the hearty laughter of everyone around her and shock at the visceral brutality of her thoughts stayed her hand. Besides, Ukitake was her friend...but it had been so easy to forget that less than a second ago...

"Well, how about this," Rangiku asked as she kept Gin on the short leash that was her arm, "...You two go do what you want, and the rest of us'll meet you at the okonomiyaki stand in a hour-and-a-half, okay?" She asked the question with an oddly suggestive smile, the significance of her implication lost on Soi Fong but not on her dark-skinned sempai.

"O-okay..." Soi answered noncomittally, as she hadn't really wanted to go play games but seemed to be having the choice made for her anyway. Before she knew it, Isane had grabbed her by the wrist and was leading her away from the group, from Yoruichi, but she simply gave a disappointed sigh and went along with the other girl.

_...I guess it could be fun,_ she forced herself to think they came to a stop at a turtle-catching booth. She glanced over her shoulder where Yoruichi had been just a second ago, hoping to ditch Isane and go back, but since the others seemed to want to hang out together she let the thought go. She didn't want Yoruichi to feel like she was a burden, after all.

The gaggle of upperclassman waved their farewells before heading off in the opposite direction.

"Isn't that cute?" Matsumoto squealed to her disinterested boyfriend as they went by a shooting booth that had stuffed animals for prizes.

"Eh? Y'mean th' lion thing?" he asked vaguely as he pointed to a yellow, anthropomorphic stuffed toy with beady black eyes.

"Not THAT," she said while giving teh slit-eyed boy a teasing roll of the eyes. "...I meant Isane-kun and Soi Fong!"

"...Oh. Eh," Ichimaru shrugged the observation off, as such things weren't really what held his interest.

"I mean, did you see Isane's face? I haven't seen her like that in a LONG time," Rangiku said as she wore a mischevious smile on her visage. "And Soi's such a sweet girl..."

"I always knew she was like THAT," Kuukaku muttered with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, "...But I dunno about th' kid..."

"Well, hey," Ukitake said after a few moments, "...We should encourage them! You know, try and give them more time to be...alone together. They'd make a really cute couple..."

Suddenly Kisuke cringed as he felt an all-too familiar hand make contact with the back of his head, but unlike the teasing slaps Yoruichi would normally take at him this one felt like she was trying to decapitate him. It was only the fact that he was used to being hit there so many times that he was able to keep from screaming out loud in pain. He turned around sharply to see Yoruichi within arm's length, giving him the deadliest of glares.

"Hey! What was THAT for?" the blonde boy asked a little more harshly then he had meant to. Yoruichi levelled her death glare at him a little longer before looking away and muttering "Nothing."

_...He just HAD to leave that note, didn't he?_


	20. Enlightenment

The Cat and The Bee 

Chapter 20: Enlightenment

"Aw, damnit!"

Soi Fong brought herself back to cognizance at the sudden exclamation from Isane, who was busy now trying to shoot down a polar-bear doll from the shooting booths. With her ammunition expired, the short-haired girl dug in the small purse at her shoulder for more money, but being unsatisfied with what she found she simply sighed and handed the toy rifle back to the game operator.

"Man... I really thought I'd get that one. Figures, since I've got no luck with these things anyway," the girl laughed at herself as she told this to Soi, who provided a light chuckle that died as soon as the Junior looked away. It wasn't that Isane was a bad person-- she seemed like a very nice girl to Soi, at least-- it was more that she wanted to get back to the group, back to Yoruichi... "Hey, you having fun?" Isane said loudly so she could be heard over the crowd.

"Huh? ...Oh, yeah-- lots," Soi answered with a patronizing smile even as she continued to fervently wish she was somewhere else. She was a bit surprised when she noticed the silver-haired girl look in her direction oddly, then away when Soi took notice.

"Y-yeah...me too," Isane said a bit quietly, feeling herself burn up as she inched just slightly closer to the younger girl. "Hey, um... I was wondering..." she said without warning after a long silence. "...Y-you're not seeing anyone...are you?" Soi nearly had a bitter laugh at that question-- she'd never so much as been on a date in her life, let alone in a relationship. Instead, she contented herself with quietly shaking her head to the left and right. "Oh really?" Isane brightened instantly at the younger girl's response, her courage growing by the moment. "Well, then... I... I know we don't know each other really well, but since we do go to the same school and all--"

"...What is it?" Soi asked, a bit more impatient than she had meant to. Isane half wanted to turn tail and run, but at the same time knew that if she didn't do it now then she'd probably never have the courage to try again. She took a deep breath, pushing the braid on her right side out of the way before continuing.

"W-would you l-like to go out with me sometime?"

**Y**oruichi stared absentmindedly at the small plate of raw fish wrapped in rice and seaweed, taking a small piece and rolling it between her thumb and forefinger before popping it casually into her mouth. It would have been easier if she knew what she was so upset about, but for some reason the answer seemed intent on evading her. Isane was a good girl, Yoruichi knew her pretty well, but that didn't stop her from wondering what she was doing with Soi Fong right now. They were all supposed to meet here a good ten minutes ago, but it was approaching fifteen when her friends got tired of waiting and decided to go ahead and start eating. She'd tried to keep her frustration to herself, which was something she could very easily do most of the time but today she couldn't have witheld if she'd wanted to-- Kisuke had noticed her rather sullen behavior (or rather the way-too-obvious degree of her false happiness) and asked her about it, but she had dismissed it as nothing.

"...Doesn't seem like nothing," the boy said wisely as he grabbed one of his many dumpling skewers and put it on the girl's plate. Yoruichi pulled one of the dumplings off and swallowed it whole while Urahara took smaller bites of his. "Are you worried about Soi?" Yoruichi nearly choked on the second dumpling she was working on, but managed to ingest it before she answered.

"...Well, if you must know, yes-- I am worried. She and Kotetsu should've been here by now." Urahara raised an eyebrow slightly. It wasn't like Yoruichi at all to be so concerned about something so trivial, but he decided not to mention it to his friend; it was actually kind of nice to see that she did have some feelings beyond her frustratingly casual demeanor.

"Oh, come on... You don't really think that they'd--"

"Hey! People do crazy things at places like this," Yoruichi said as her eyes narrowed angrily. The thought of ANYONE doing something like THAT to her... she shook the thought away before continuing. "...You come here and you get all friendly with someone, then you get slipped some drugs in your drink when you're not looki--"

"Good God, Yoruichi!" the blonde teen said in a disturbed chuckle. "...Don't you think you're getting a little...paranoid? And come on, this is Isane we're talking about-- she has nightmares about FOOD! She wouldn't try ANYTHING on Soi even if she DID like her." Yoruichi was quiet for a few moments, then let out a frustrated sigh.

"...I guess so..." she admitted even as she rolled her eyes. She was getting hysterical over nothing. This wasn't like her at all to be acting this way. Yeah, Isane wouldn't have the nerve to do anything, but even so... "...I just don't want anyone hurting her--that's all," she muttered more to herself than Kisuke, although the latter heard her easily enough from his place beside her.

"Oh, here you guys are!" Yoruichi felt herself brighten against her will at the sound of Soi Fong's voice, felt her head turn a little too quickly to find her among the swarm of people enjoying the festival. The others noticed her and greeted her with casual or half-hearted salutations, as they were busy with their individual dinners to pay her any mind. "Well, nice to see you guys, too..." the freshman muttered as she walked past them and straight up to where Kisuke and Yoruichi were sitting, the latter of whom tried to hide the smile on her face for fear that she looked too happy.

"Hey, kiddo!" Urahara said with a grin as he held out his plate of snacks. "...Dumpling?"

"Oh, no thanks, I--"

"Hey, you!" Yoruichi's grin faded easily enough when Isane showed up just a second later, having gotten caught up in the crowd and lost sight of the Chinese girl on the way. "...Sorry I lost you back there!"

"Oh...no, it's all right," Soi answered with a friendly wave. "...I was just going to go over there and get some ramen," she indicated a small noodle stand not far from where they were sitting.

"Well, could I g--"

"...I'll go," Yoruichi said faster than she had meant to, shoving her half-eaten plate of sushi near Kisuke. "...I was getting kinda hungry anyway."

"O-okay," Soi answered hesitantly once she'd had a moment to recover from the shock of her sempai's presence again. "Isane, could you save us some space?" Yoruichi was ready to tell the Junior to go sit on her own and leave Soi alone, but instead she kept her mouth shut and headed off with her younger friend. Isane barely had time to answer before the girls were beyond earshot, so she merely gave a disappointed sigh and plopped down on the bench next to Urahara.

**"I**'d like an order of curry ramen, please," Soi indicated to the man behind the counter.

"...Make that two," the older girl added once she'd looked over the menu. She handed the chef money for both orders, then plopped onto the stool beside Soi Fong. "So," she said with a smile as she glanced at her friend, "...Sorry we ditched you like that...I didn't want to, you know."

"Oh...That's okay," Soi muttered as she felt her face burn up again, and not just because of the steam coming from behind the small curtain before them. "...It wasn't too bad with Isane, though. We DID have some fun." Yoruichi felt a little agitated at hearing Soi mention that girl, but she decided to ignore it. Why was the idea of Soi with Isane so upsetting to her? Maybe she was just jealous of the fact that since the freshman had been around her so often that being around another person was surprising. "...Actually, Yoruichi-san?"

"...Yeah?" Yoruichi asked as the chef reappeared with their order, giving the first bowl to Soi and the second to the upperclassman.

"Well, I wanted to ask...your advice about something." Yoruichi said nothing, she simply nodded at her friend, indicating that she was prepared to listen to what she wanted to say. "...See, Isane asked me on a...on a date-- Are you okay!" Soi exclaimed in the middle of her statement when she saw Yoruichi choking on her ramen. She reached out to help, but the upperclassman stopped her with an outstretched palm. Once she could breathe again, Soi repeated her question, to which Yoruichi put on a wide smile and said she was fine.

"J...just go on with your...with what you were saying," Yoruichi said even as she was trying to recover from her brush with death.

"...Well...What should I do?" Yoruichi again felt something in her gut urge her to tell Soi to leave Isane alone, but she was able to silence it even though it was harder than before to ignore it. God, what was wrong with her?

"Hmm..." The older woman hummed as she resumed her eating. "...I guess you should just do what you feel is right, Soi." The girl felt a little bit disappointed by her friend's answer, by her ambiguity. She had almost hoped that Yoruichi would tell her what to do, give her something specific to mull over. But then, obviously this wasn't something Yoruichi could instruct her in, like with Karate or how to fend off bullies. She'd be flying solo in this decision. She was about to say something to the now silent Yoruichi when a tall glass bottle landed on the counter between them with a dull smack. The two girls turned to see Kuukaku holding the neck of the bottle and about four others like it in the crook of her other arm.

"Hey, Yoruichi...Look what I got!" the tactless girl said with a crooked smile as she indicated the label, and upon closer inspection Yoruichi realized what Kuukaku had acquired.

"...Sake?"

"You bet yer ass it is! Sure, it cost a mint...but it's for a very special occasion..."

"Oh?" Yoruichi asked skeptically, knowing the answer even before she prepared to ask. "...And what would that be?"

"Drinking. Contest. You and me-- right here and right now!" With that, Kuukaku pulled out a pair of small drinking glasses from her pocket and slammed them on the counter in succession, then shoved herself between Soi and Yoruichi.

"Hey!" the freshman exclaimed as her ramen bowl fell to the grass and spilled its contents out with abandon, but Kuukaku took no notice of her and Yoruichi hadn't heard over the din of the surrounding chaos.

"Ahh...I think I'm gonna pass, Kuukaku. I'm not really in the mood to be drinking," Yoruichi said with false regret as she glanced in Soi's direction.

"Bullshit," Kuukaku chuckled as she popped the top on one of the bottles, letting the rice wine air out slightly before she served it. "...You said we were all gonna get drunk this week, but I know you haven't had so much as a drop since we've been here. Now you and me are gonna down shots 'til we puke or I'm gonna beat you up!" Yoruichi gave her a look that said she didn't think that was even close to possible, but before she could ask Soi if she wanted to leave she heard the voice she'd come to abhor over the last five days.

"Hey, Soi Fong!" There was Isane again, looking at Soi with that warm glow in her eyes, offset by a rather deep blush that the object of her affections didn't notice. "...Ready to keep going?"

"W-well, actually, I..." Soi began but was surprised when she felt Isane's fingers around her wrist, pulling her so hard that she feared her arm might be removed.

"Come on, we can still check out some of the shops before fireworks start!" Yoruichi glared as she watched Isane drag Soi off (clearly against the girl's will), then flinched when Kuukaku spoke out of nowhere.

"Hmph-- Isane sure wants to get th' kid in the sack, eh?"

"Jeez," Yoruichi grumbled as she stirred the bowl of noodles before her with her chopsticks, "...Why the hell is an upperclassman so interested in her, anyway? I don't like it."

"...Look who's talking."

Yoruichi's eyes snapped towards Kuukaku, an accusing glint to her hard gaze.

"...What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?"

"Nothin'," the Shiba girl said casually, but Yoruichi caught the taunting grin on her face. Was Kuukaku implying that she was... Of course not. There was no way it could be that. She liked Soi a lot, that was true, but it was more of a filial sort of affection... the only reason she didn't like Isane was because she just wanted to make sure Soi was safe...right? She was interrupted from her musings by her friend speaking again, lifting the liter of sake with her as she did so.

"Well, if you'd rather just sit here, I can find someone else willing to play--" Before she could finish, Yoruichi yanked her into a stool and set the glasses so that one was in front of each of them. She was thinking too much about all this-- a few drinks wouldn't hurt at this point.

"Fine-- let's get started." Kuukaku grinned as she turned the open bottle end-over-end, pouring both half a glassful.

**"S**o..." Isane asked as soon as they were alone (and by 'alone' that meant away from anyone who knew them), "...You said you'd think about... about g-going out... well, what do you wanna do?" Soi hesitated before she answered. She had been giving this a lot of thought since Isane had asked her, but even so she knew that her answer wasn't going to change.

"...Kotetsu-san..." Soi began after a steadying breath, "...I really do think that you're a nice person... but I just don't think I want to go on a date."

"...Oh..." Soi felt guilty as she watched Isane's cheerful demeanor disappear like water turning to steam, but at the same time she felt slightly liberated-- like she was glad for being honest with herself.

"I...I'm really sorry..."

"No, t-that's okay," the Junior answered with a bit too wide of a smile. Even so, she didn't speak for a little while, and didn't seem as intent on looking at Soi as she had before. The freshman thought for a moment that Isane didn't want to talk to her anymore, but without warning the tomboyish-looking girl spoke again. "...Is there someone else? That you're interested in, I mean."

"Oh, uh..." Soi pursed her lips for a moment, not sure what the answer to that question was. "...I...I guess so..." she muttered as Yoruichi popped into her head.

"...Is it Yorui--"

"NO!" It wasn't the denial that had surprised Soi so much as the volume with which she had declared it-- some people passing by stopped what they were doing just to look at her, a few of whom were whispering rude things about her. "...I mean..." Soi managed as her face burned red, her dark eyes darting around in confusion. There were so many thoughts running through her mind all of a sudden, some of them troubling while others were confusing and still more were strangely pleasant and warming.

"...I...I need to be alone for a little while," Soi said in a half-whisper as she rejected Isane's outstretched hand and headed off into the crowd as fast as her feet could move her.

**S**oi wasn't sure where she was now, just that she had wandered to the outskirts of the festival, where there were a few late families making their way to the lawn where the fireworks were going to be and couples in their own little worlds, talking in whispered tones barely a few inches from each other's face. She glanced at them dejectedly, annoyed with the way they seemed oblivious to everything around them, how they wasted their time with feelings that weren't going to last beyond high school anyway. Sure, it was rather spiteful and prejudiced of her to think that, but right now she just felt so frustrated, not just with herself but with this confusion saturating her consciousness that she wanted to take out her venom on anyone who walked by-- they were all eligible to be condemned by the jury of her mind right now. She was just about to look back at the booths when she saw something that caught her eye.

There were two girls walking up the path-- one was taller with her long hair in a bun, the other was a bit shorter and had rather cute pigtails that hung over her shoulders, but both were clad in matching yukata. Soi tried to look away, but there was something about them that made her keep watching-- no sort of attraction, she just felt compelled see what happened. Suddenly the shorter girl limped and as if she could have seen it coming, her tall companion grabbed her by the arm to prevent a fall. She bent down and lifted up the hem of her robe for just a moment, but Soi saw the violent red burn on her ankle-- almost as if she'd been attacked. The tall girl spoke to her friend with concerned eyes, making a few gestures in the direction they had come. The shorter one gave a brave sort of smile, shaking her head and acting like the injury (or whatever it was the tall girl had mentioned) wasn't a big deal. The tall one gave a slight sigh, then put an arm around her companion. Soi smiled to herself, the gesture reminding her of Yoruichi. She thought for a minute that they must have been sisters until the taller one leaned down and planted a kiss right on the other's lips.

Suddenly Soi knew exactly what they were. She tried to look away, pretend she hadn't noticed, but suddenly they returned her mind's eye, but this time it was different. It was her and Yoruichi instead. In an instant Soi remembered why she had run from Isane in the first place, why she was now walking about the festival alone. She felt so different than she had before she'd left for the trip, and no matter how many times she had tried to assure herself otherwise she knew Yoruichi was at the center of it. God, this was ridiculous! She couldn't have feelings for Yoruichi... even though she was happier with her than she had ever been in her life, even though there was this strange longing deep in the pit of her stomach when she looked at her, even though she was feeling all these things that usually identified at the very least with the symptoms of a crush.

It was just adolescent confusion; she'd heard about stuff like this before, where a shy girl would think she was in love with another girl, but once they became more outgoing they grew out of it, like it was simply a phase. Those two women she'd seen before probably weren't even real-- just a hallucination caused by an overworked and troubled mind. She just needed more time to relax, more time away from Yoruichi. That would set her straight. But, as destiny seemed intent on proving her wrong since the day she'd set foot in high school, she encountered something other than peace of mind that night.

Soi jumped as she heard the snapping of a twig out in the trees to her right. She almost ignored it, but then she noticed the flash of lantern light on a lavender yukata.

_Is that...?_ Sure enough, she followed it a little further to find her sempai, strewn out on the grass with her robe askew on her.

"Y...Yoruichi?"

"Hhhhheyyy, Ssssoi Fffonngh!" Yoruichi managed to say after a few moments of blank-eyed staring, her face flush and a stupidly happy grin on her face. Soi flinched when the overpowering stench of alchol hit her from Yoruichi's breath, but recovered when the older girl tried to stand and only ended up tripping over her own leg. Soi was about to ask if she was hurt when Yoruichi suddenly began laughing.

"Th...that wassss fuuhnnn!" the dark-skinned girl yelled even as she tried half-heartedly to stop giggling. "Ddddid yyya ssshheee me...f...fall justtt nnnowwww!" Soi gave out an exasperated sigh as she leaned down and picked up one of Yoruichi's limp arms, grunting as she forced it around her neck for support.

"J...just how much d...did you drink, Yoruichi?" Soi growled through her teeth, straining to at least get the drunken woman on her feet, which she seemed utterly unwilling to do.

"Y...Yeh sssshheeee thhhat, Kkkuuuukakku?" Yoruichi slurred victoriously to no one in particular. "I wwwonnn agggaain! Ya ddddumm bbbitsssssch..."

"...Just try to...there..." the freshman said with a bit of relief as she gave a strong tug and felt some of Yoruichi's weight disappear as she clumsily regained some semblance of balance. To her added relief, Yoruichi didn't speak for a little bit, just mumbling to herself and occasionally hiccupping.

_Jeez,_ Soi thought as she continued to support Yoruichi by what barely passed as her strength. She didn't know what had made Yoruichi so appealing in her eyes before-- in situations like this one, she could be so childish, so careless-- not to mention that she wasn't terribly mature to begin with, always teasing, smiling, treating life like it was just a big game to her...

"...Wherrre th' hell'sssss...Issssanne? Aaarrren't yyyou goin' out w...with that lllittle sk...litttle skank?"

"Huh?" Soi asked with a cocked eyebrow. Why would she bring that up at a time like this? "...I don't know. I kinda left after I told her 'no.'"

"...Ttthhhat's...ggggoood..." Yoruichi mumbled, but it didn't surprise Soi nearly as much as what she said next.

"Ttthhat's what tttthe bitssssch gggets for t-trrryin' ta take ya awayyy frrrrem me."

Soi nearly dropped Yoruichi right there, but before she even had a chance to be shocked the older girl suddenly shoved her against the trunk of a nearby tree. The freshman winced slightly from the impact on her back and was about to chew her drunken friend out when Yoruichi leaned in, her face barely an inch from the younger girl's, her hands pressed flat on the bark around Soi's head for support. Soi instantly froze up, Yoruichi's proximity suddenly and inexplicably rendering her unable to form a cognizant thought.

"Y...Yoruichi-san..." she managed after a few tense moments staring into those unfocused golden eyes before her. She couldn't remember what she had thought wasn't attractive about Yoruichi just a moment ago, all she knew was that all the blood in her body was rushing directly to her face. "...L-let me move..." she said weakly even as she knew she didn't want to go anywhere.

"Nnnnnuh-uhhh," Yoruichi said lazily as her head lolled back and forth, a slow smile creeping onto her lips as she said it. "...Y...yyya neeeed ta rrrrememmmmber wwwho yyyya...wwwwho's gggggonnna lllloook afffta' yyyeeeww..." The upperclassman stumbled a little bit, bringing face even closer to her prisoner's. Soi felt her pulse race, a sudden desire reducing her thoughts to nothing as the memory of the two girls reappeared in her mind with her and Yoruichi in their places.

"...Yerrrr...mmmy Ssssoi Fonnng..." the older girl stumbled through the words like she was lost in a fog, and Soi could smell the rice wine on her breath even more than before but Yoruichi's closeness was making it almost pleasant, like it was an integral part of the woman's scent.

"Y-Yoruichi-san...l-l-listen...you're drunk, you're saying th-things you don't m--..." But she never does get a chance to finish that sentence when out of nowhere Yoruichi instantly closes the gap between them.

For a moment Soi can't think; all she can do is stare wide-eyed at nothing in particular as she feels Yoruichi's lips on hers. She had never thought about what her first kiss would feel like, but she hadn't thought for a moment it would happen like this: pinned to a tree by a girl three years older than her, that dark mouth pressed so hard on her delicate one that she's almost afraid there'll be a bruise afterwards. Almost. Yoruichi manages, with great difficulty considering her intoxication, to move a hand from her support onto Soi's face, her fingertips running down from the cheek in a surprisingly fluid motion. The sensation is suddenly more than Soi can handle, she trembles against her will, unaware that she still needs to breathe as she weakens, her eyelids slowly drooping as she runs out of oxygen. Yoruichi's lips become rather unfocused as the kiss lingers, and she slowly begins to drift to the left, her lips no longer fused to her younger friend's but Soi remains petrified as though they were. As quickly as it had happened the older girl suddenly withdrawls, pulling her face away from Soi with that incoherent grin still on her features.

"...Thhhherrre wwwe gggho...Y-yahh knowwww thtttthat yyya ttthalk ttoooo musshsh, Ssssoi." All the other girl can do is gasp for breath as she suddenly remembers her body's need for air, but whether her breathlessness is the result of Yoruichi's kiss or being deprived of oxygen for nearly two minutes is unknown to her. She tries to get her now uncooperative brain to work again, to move as she knows she should, but the only thing she's aware of is the taste of Yoruichi's lips-- the sweet flavor of sake mixed with the spicy tang of curry. Suddenly the stench of alcohol is far from abhorrent to her; its presence on Yoruichi almost makes it intoxicating in and of itself, like she was being bathed in pheromones, inhaling the most powerful of love potions. Yoruichi slowly makes her way forward once more and all Soi can do is close her eyes and part her lips, surrendering to the euphoria that had overwhelmed her senses and that wanted to taste Yoruichi again and again and again... but instead of that softness on her mouth she feels Yoruichi's forehead collide with hers, then the older girl loses her balance and falls in a heap to the ground.

The bump on her head takes another moment to break the spell on Soi, who's brought back to Earth almost painfully as she rubs the sore spot. Slowly, as if coming out of a fog, she realizes what just happened and her eyes threaten to pop out of her head.

_She... Yoruichi just..._

The older girl's most recent act came out in a low whisper, Soi almost afraid that if she said it out loud it would be undone. But she wanted it to be undone...didn't she? Yoruichi had been drunk, she reminded herself. If she had known what she was doing, she would never have kissed her...right? Why would anyone so wonderful and beautiful want to be that close to her? But she'd said her name... she'd said her name and smiled as she did it. Slowly, almost timidly, Soi glanced at Yoruichi's now unconscious form, heard her throaty snoring as she lay on the grass face up. All of a sudden Soi found herself on top of the sleeping woman, her heart pounding and eyes glittering with awakened desire. She wanted to kiss Yoruichi again, wanted it so badly she didn't care if the other was cognizant enough to feel it or not. Soi knew as she dreamily closed her eyes and moved in that this was definitely not a crush, that it wasn't a case of confused sexual identity-- the longing burning within her was far too strong to be something as simple as that.

_... So perfect..._ Soi though happily as she felt her bottom lip make contact with that flawless mouth, wanting more than anything for Yoruichi to wake up and just have her right there...

"Hey, Yoruichi! Are you out here?" Soi jumped away from Yoruichi's inert form as though she had been burned, a sudden sense of shame and fear overwhelming her as Urahara's voice drifted in her direction. She stumbled back a few paces, forcing herself to look away even as she wants to stare at Yoruichi in all her glory. She heard Kisuke call a second time, and once she had regained a bit of her sanity the freshman answered him.

"O-over here! Urahara-san!" A few minutes later she saw the blonde teen approach her, stumbling through the half-darkness just as the flash of fireworks lit up the night, the rumble of the explosions little more than pops at this distance.

"Oh, there she is," Kisuke said in a tone that was both relieved and agitated. "...What are you doing out here, kid?" he queried to the freshman a few feet from him.

"W-well..." Soi began, uncertain if she wanted to lay out in detail the events that had lead her to this point. In the end, she decided against it. "...I just kind of noticed her out here, so I tried to get her back. What happened?"

"Oh, Kuukaku got her to join in a drinking contest-- she always goes too damn far with these things. Well," the upperclassman said in a grunt as he bent down and draped his friend's limp arms around his neck for support, then stood up and held her legs so that she was straddling his back, "...I guess we'd better get her home."

"Well, what about the others...?" Soi asked as they began to trudge toward the entrance to the festival.

"Oh, they'll be fine. They're probably just gonna head back once the fireworks are done, anyway." A flash of green and blue illuminated the woods as he said this, giving the duo just enough light to find their way out. "Man, I tell you what, Yoru-chan gets pretty crazy when she's drunk," the young man said with a chuckle as he hoisted her up a little more, to avoid losing his grip.

"Y...yeah..." Soi agreed absentmindedly, the events of the last few minutes already playing in her head again.

"Hey, you look a little shaken," Kisuke noted as he glanced at Soi's rather pale face. "...She didn't DO anything to you before she conked out, did she?" The freshman blushed as the sensation of Yoruichi's soft lips invaded her thoughts, accompanied by the lingering flavor of sake on her tongue...

"N-n-no," Soi muttered, trying not to act guilty even though she was staring at the grass, at anything to avoid looking Kisuke straight in the eye. The boy sensed that something was wrong, however, but he let the matter drop as they headed back to the beach house.

**S**oi Fong stared at her coffee cup early the next morning, the steam slowly rising from its inscrutable dark surface making an unbroken flow of erratic white that stained the air. Everyone else was still asleep, after having gotten back from the fireworks display long after midnight, but the freshman's mind refused to allow her the same degree of restfulness today. She had too much on her mind even after she and Kisuke had gotten Yoruichi to bed to even consider sleep an option.

_Yoruichi... _Soi thought as she glanced at her untouched drink, gazing at the dark brown color that was so beautiful, so much like HER skin and would probably taste even sweeter than the coffee... she stopped herself before the fantasy could continue, but then felt slightly empty instead. She'd hoped that some time alone would help her to sort out the cluttered space of her mind, but it had been a pipe dream: all she did now was think about Yoruichi, the kiss replaying in her mind over and over like a broken record. But no matter how many times she relived it the feelings refused to fade; in fact if anything they seemed to grow more intense with each recollection. It was this perfect mix of desire and tenderness and passion and joy that made her completely content but at the same time made her long for Yoruichi all the more, just so that she could catch another taste of the heaven that was her lips.

"Uhhhgh..." Soi's heart jumped as she heard Yoruichi behind her, but she stopped from turning around, not wanting to look too eager to see her. She probably didn't remember what happened last night, after all.

"H-hi, Yoruichi-san," the freshman said as casually as she could, given that her pulse was running a marathon right now. God, even in the morning, hung over with her hair mussed up and dark bags under her golden eyes, Yoruichi was still breathtakingly gorgeous, still flawless and exacting in her movements.

Still a Goddess.

"M...mornin'..." Yoruichi managed through a yawn as she stumbled over to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup as she grabbed a small bottle of aspirin from the counter. Once she had finished with her coffee the older girl went about popping the child-proof top, finally sighing victoriously as her strength overwhelmed the container. She popped a few of the small white tablets, then glanced over to notice Soi gazing at her, apparently transfixed. "...What?" the girl asked a little more irritably than she had meant to, at which the freshman immediately turned away.

"S-sorry," the younger girl mumbled shyly even though she wasn't, trying to stop herself from wanting to run up to Yoruichi and kiss her and only just barely succeeding. She wanted to caress that tired face, wanted to lay her on a soft bed and watch her as she drifted into sleep, wanted to be content with just being Yoruichi's friend. But it was too late for that, and she realized that it had been too late for that ever since she'd first looked at Yoruichi. But at least now the confusion was gone, replaced instead with a truth that she was more certain about than anything else in her life.

She was in love with Yoruichi. In love with her teasing and her peerless beauty and her sly grins and the way her eyes narrowed when she smiled and the way she sounded when she was sick and could barely speak, in love with how soft her lips were and how right she made her feel when they were together. She even loved her when she was tired and cranky like this, when she looked like she might slug anyone who got anywhere near her bad side. Yoruichi had been absolutely right last night-- Soi WAS hers now. She was completely and utterly devoted to this woman, and no one in the world could change that in the slightest now.

"...Ah, man..." Yoruichi groaned as she gripped her forehead, rubbing it gingerly where less than twelve hours ago she had literally bumped heads with Soi, "...What the hell happened to me last night?"

Soi blushed and pretended to be interested in the design on her mug, not sure she wanted to answer that question just yet.


	21. Secrets

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 21: Secrets

Soi yawned as she stepped into the shower, her fatigue so great that not even the hot water pouring down on her umprepared skin was enough to bring her to cognizance. With memory as the guide her still closed eyes could not be, she reached over to the soap ledge and grabbed the small opaque bar before rubbing it onto a light-green washcloth. She was in the middle of lathering her pale arms when she heard the outer door click open. Immediately the girl's sleepiness vanished and she raised her head irritably to see the vague form of someone tall on the other side of the frosted glass. Her father knew better than to come in while she was showering, so what could he be doing?

"Dad, I told you-- I'll be out in a min--"

"...Hello."

In spite of the humidity surrounding her, Soi instantly turned pale. That voice, so lyrical and so sensual... It couldn't be... Before she could gather the fortitude to ask who was there, the door slid open to reveal a very familiar pair of warm topaz eyes.

"Y-Y-Yoruichi-san!" Soi immediately reached for a towel to cover herself with, but contented with using her hands when nothing was found to be available. "W-w-w-what are y-you doing here!"

"Hmm?...Oh... My water pressure went out this morning...and I just...figured I'd use your shower today." In spite of her embarrassment, Soi narrowed her eyes in confusion. Why would Yoruichi have come here for that? Didn't Kisuke live closer anyway? The slightly distracted tone in Yoruichi's voice, along with the way she was staring at her very naked body, didn't make her feel any more certain about what was going on. Suddenly she noticed what Yoruichi was wearing-- or rather, what she wasn't; the only thing between her body and Soi's very wide eyes was a towel that looked like she'd had to make an effort to keep on her. "...You don't mind...right?" Soi felt her brain short-circuit when Yoruichi made eye contact with her, the smoldering heat of the other girl's gaze coupled with the rather libidinous smile she flashed were almost enough to drive her over the edge.

"N-n-n-n-no," Soi finally managed to get out, looking away as her face began to turn purple.

"...Well? Can I get in?" Yoruichi asked after a moment. It took Soi nearly a minute to gather her remaining wits and allow a shocked "W-w-w-w-w-what!" to escape her lips.

"I...I-I-I mean, n-no. J-just give me a minute t--to..." Soi began, but it drifts off into nothing when Yoruichi's towel suddenly falls to the ground, its knot undone so quickly that the younger girl doesn't notice.

_Oh God._

"...Oops," the Senior noted with wide eyes and a hand over her mouth in a false display of surprise. "So now...there's no problem, right?...Didn't think so," she smiled with hungry eyes as she stepped in, her skin already flecked with drops of water that would've hit where the open shower door was. Soi just nods dumbly, trying to ignore the flawless body before her but failing so completely that her eyes are drawn downward.

"...Do you like what you see, Soi? You naughty girl, you." Soi physically shook herself out of the trance at Yoruichi's teasing comment, then began fumbling for an excuse.

"Uh...I...that is, uh-I-I-um..."

"You know what your problem is?" Yoruichi whispers as she leans even closer, taking the opportunity to smell the lingering aroma of soap on the freshman even as she makes the blush rise with her predatory gaze. "...You talk too much." Soi is still in the middle of her rebuttal when Yoruichi suddenly pounces on her, forcing her against the porcelin wall of the shower, then yanks her head back and mashes their lips together.

Soi feels absolutely ecstatic, caught in the grip of a very coherent Yoruichi, her only possible handicap being the utter blindness of her lust. The freshman gasps into the kiss as Yoruichi's hand travels down the small of her back, which turns into a moan as the older woman takes the opportunity and slides her tongue into Soi's very willing mouth. Soi is just growing bold enough to respond in kind when Yoruichi's mouth suddenly withdrawls. Before Soi can protest, she lets out a pleasured yelp as she feels Yoruichi nibble along her collarbone.

"Mmm... Much better," Yoruichi says with a confident smile in between kisses. But all of a sudden the cockiness disappears and she's looking at Soi like she can't see anything else. "...Oh God, I love you, Soi...I haven't stopped thinking about you since the festival..."

"W...What?" Soi manages when Yoruichi lets up just enough to let her catch her breath. "...B-but I t-t-thought that you were drunk..." She catches a glimpse of a knowing smile that even plays upon Yoruichi's eyes as the older woman goes lower, her lips illiciting louder moans and begging from Soi the farther she descends.

"Oh...Lower, Yoruichi...Please...More..."

"...Soi? Everything all right in there?"

The freshman nearly screams upon being brought back to reality so harshly, pulling her hand from between her legs once she sees what she'd been doing unconsciously.

"D-Dad!" Soi winced at her own tone as she said it; anyone who wasn't as hurried as him would've realized she was hiding something.

"...You've been in there a while. Come on, you're going to be late for school! Quit lollygagging!"

"O-Okay!" Soi answered distractedly, realizing as she hears her father walk away that she's wasted all her time asleep standing up. She heaved a self-annoyed sigh, then turned the water faucet hard to the left to make sure that it won't leak all morning.

**T**he freshman groaned as she took another bite of her hastily prepared toast while she walked, though it wasn't the late-August heat that was bothering her right now. She'd been having erotic dreams about Yoruichi ever since they'd come back from the beach nearly two weeks ago, but that one in the shower was the most graphic fantasy she'd had so far. She didn't mind them at all when they actually happened upon her, in her sleep, but for one to just pop out at her like it had was a little troubling. She was going to see Yoruichi at school today, the first time in nearly a month that they'd talk in person. The idea of one of those...things...happening to her while she and Yoruichi were together...

_Come on,_ she shook off the troubling insecurity with a shudder. It couldn't be that hard to conceal her feelings from the older girl-- hell, she'd been able to keep herself from realizing it for months! But then... once she'd understood how she felt, those dreams had started happening. It felt so strange...she'd never wanted to touch herself before, not with any guy she'd known or any person she'd ever met. But with Yoruichi those urges suddenly became powerful, almost uncontrollable. Or was it maybe that what she really wanted was for Yoruichi to touch her? Soi was contemplating this when she suddenly felt people bumping past her, struggling to get into the building before her that she suddenly realized was her school. Without bothering to think about how her feet had carried her there, the freshman ran inside, secretly grateful that she hadn't seen Yoruichi yet.

**S**oi was chewing on a piece of her omelette at lunch, glancing around the classroom from her desk, torn between feeling glad that she hadn't suffered the awkwardness of having to see Yoruichi again but at the same time wishing she was there. It wasn't as though she was going out of her way to avoid the Senior, but it bothered Soi that she hadn't even noticed her today. Was she sick again? Could she, possibly, have remembered the kiss and was avoiding her on purpose? Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder that made her flinch, but not jump, though she couldn't say the same for her heart when she turned around to see that face.

HER face, smiling down at her.

"Hey, Soi!"

"H-h-hey," the freshman answered as calmly as she could, which wasn't much considering that her hands were shaking. Yoruichi either didn't notice Soi's reaction or didn't comment on it, because she sat right down and plopped her lunchbag on a nearby desk.

"...Mind if I eat?" Soi tried to answer, but Yoruichi's perpetually bright smile seemed to inhibit her thoughts, rendering her incapable of anything other than nodding. As Yoruichi hungrily began to remove the contents of her bag, Soi couldn't help but notice the way her longsleeved uniform shirt hugged her arms, betraying the slender, elegant limbs hidden beneath. "So, what'd you do with the rest of your summer break?" The sudden question made Soi blink out of her reverie, but she was able to provide a satisfactory answer without too much mental fumbling.

"Oh, uh...Not much. Just...just hanging out..." Soi trailed off as she followed the movements of Yoruichi's hands with her eyes, watching them beautifully go about the otherwise simple task of popping a straw into a container of juice.

"Ah...Well, you should've called me! We could've done something together!"

"Y...Yeah..." Soi muttered as she felt herself begin to drift, began to imagine Yoruichi leaning across the desk and kissing her...

"Hey, you all right? You seem kinda out of it," Yoruichi observed as she took a drink, sucking on the straw just enough to coax the liquid within out.

"N-no, I'm fine," the younger girl said casually as she stood up, forgetting about her half-finished lunch as she did so. "I'm just...just gonna go get something..." Yoruichi made to stand up and accompany Soi, but the freshman gave a slight wave and began to walk out of the classroom, then broke into a run once the older girl was out of sight. Soi careened into the nearest girl's bathroom, then dashed straight up to the first sink she came across and splashed herself with water once her cupped hands were full.

She gave a sigh as she stared at her dripping-wet reflection in the mirror, hoping that the water would be able to wash away the lustful thoughts she was having regarding her sempai. All that she had done, however, was get herself and the top part of her uniform wet. She had hoped that she'd be able to control her longing for Yoruichi the way she had before, but she'd been wrong. It was nothing like before; every last one of Yoruichi's movements kept Soi hypnotized and hungry for her, like she was under a powerful spell for which there was no cure. But Soi wasn't one to simply lay down and die, to display emotional weakness. She could be strong if she wanted to, and to keep from giving herself away she'd need every last ounce of her willpower.

_...This is gonna be harder than I thought,_ Soi groaned as she pulled a sheet of paper towels from the nearby dispenser and ran it across her damp face.

**"G**eez, I can't believe all this crap," Yoruichi groaned as she rifled through her binder. "...I thought Senior year was supposed to be easy, but they just keep pilin' on the homework." Urahara only chuckled knowingly as he adjusted his backpack, but he bristled slightly as Soi bumped into him for the fifth time.

"Hey, lay off the booze, kiddo-- You can't even walk a straight line anymore." Soi flinched out of her daze at Kisuke's teasing, then tore her eyes away from Yoruichi, silently cursing herself for looking too long.

"S-sorry."

"Hey, are you SURE you're all right? You're acting kinda weird today," the older girl said as she craned her head up to see past Kisuke's hat. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"...Y-Yeah. Yeah, I...I'm just kinda tired," Soi fibbed as she forced herself to look at the sidewalk. She let out a sigh as she reminded herself that she only had about 5 minutes until they parted ways, feeling both relieved and disappointed by the prospect. She was just wondering how she would be able to get through another year of this awkwardness when Yoruichi suddenly smacked herself on the head and turned around.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kisuke asked as he watched his friend walk back the way they came.

"Oh, I forgot my book for AIZEN's class," Yoruichi answered with a roll of the eyes. "...If I don't get that shit done for tomorrow he's gonna be on my ass all day."

"Well, here, I can go back with you..." Soi felt herself tense at Kisuke's offer to the object of her affection , but fortunately Yoruichi declined his company with a wave of the hand.

"No thanks. You guys go ahead, okay?"

"All right," the blonde said as he nodded. He turned and continued walking with Soi until he noticed an odd expression on Soi's face.

"...What?" The freshman asked brightly, her disappointment at Yoruichi's early departure disappearing in an instant.

"Nothin,'" Kisuke remarked with a shrug, then waved goodbye a few minutes later when he came to his street.

**Y**oruichi wandered through the dark halls of the school, surprised that the building had been cleaned so early in the day. But then, Fall sports tryouts were all week, so of course people would make an effort at keeping the rooms neat to avoid the shame of being the last one on the field. After a few minutes spent straining her eyes in the dark she finally came across her locker, and moments later she had the heavy textbook in her hand. Just as she was shoving the Mathematics book into her bookcase, a loud bang sounded out a little ways down the hall.

_...That's weird,_ Yoruichi thought with a raised eyebrow._ I thought everyone was gone?_

The recently nurtured side of Yoruichi that advocated responsibility and virtue felt inclined to just turn and ignore it, but the much older and more indulged persona that lived for trouble wanted to get a closer look. It didn't take the Senior long to decide which one she wanted to listen to. Setting her bookcase quietly down as she carefully shut her locker, Yoruichi walked over to the source of the noise, being careful not to make noise as she did so.

_...Aizen's class?_

She was just wondering what that creep could've been up to after hours at school when she heard his voice on the other side of the door.

"...about that. I guess I should...more careful..."

"Sosuke! I...think you're taking...seriously..."

Yoruichi blinked at the sudden appearance of the second voice. It sounded like a girl's-- maybe even one from her own grade. She decided not to bother with asking herself questions at this point and leaned closer to the sliding plastic door, the better to hear the conversation.

"...Listen, we can't keep doing this HERE anymore. I don't think it's safe."

"Hmph. You're cute when you worry like that."

The upperclassman nearly did a double-take. Did she just hear Aizen being...affectionate? This couldn't possibly be the same man who harrassed Kuukaku and her on a daily basis. She had a sudden urge to have her curiousity sated further, but held it down by listening harder.

"Sosuke..." the girl said with a bit of a laugh in her voice, as though his joviality had infected her in some way. "...I really should be getting home. My parents are gonna chew me out if I'm later than I was last time..."

That was all Yoruichi needed to hear to confirm her suspicions. At first she'd thought that Aizen must be doing something with an aide or even a teacher, but this was definitely a student!

"...Your parents..."

"I'm serious! They've noticed how late I've been coming home-- they're already asking me if I have a boyfriend!"

The dark-skinned girl blinked as she suddenly found her hand on the door handle.

_Just a peek..._ she assured herself as she slowly slid the door just enough to see inside.

"Listen, don't worry. I promise that I'll try to be more careful from now on," Aizen said to his lover. "...I really do care about you, you know."

"...I know..." the girl responded in a whisper as Yoruichi leaned over and nearly cried out in shock at what she saw.

Momo Hinamori, the class representative, was sitting on Aizen's lap on the floor, a coat over her shoulders providing the only shield against her obvious nudity. Her hair was out of its normal bun and she had one of her tiny arms around the teacher's neck and one was on his bare chest, the better to provide balance as she kissed him deeply on the lips. Aizen's normally slicked-back hair was down and his glasses were askew on the floor beside them, and he had a single arm wrapped entirely around the girl's shoulders as he returned the gesture in earnest.

That was all Yoruichi saw before she backed away. It took her a moment walking dumbly back down the hall to remember her bookcase, which she hastily grabbed and then left the school as quickly as she could.


	22. Freudian Slip

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 22: Freudian Slip

Yoruichi stared at the flickering television set as she flipped through the channels, only vaguely interested in the comedy program that was on at the moment. She'd hoped that it would be enough to distract her from her thoughts, but all it did was bring what she had seen more firmly into her consciousness.

_How the hell could this have happened,_ she repeated to herself for the twentieth time that evening. The upperclassman had known Momo for nearly two years, and in that time she would never have believed that this sweet-natured, quiet girl could have been sleeping with a teacher if she hadn't seen her like that herself. But then, the more she'd thought about it, the more it had made sense. The Hinamori girl had been recommended for the position of Class Representative by Aizen himself, but everyone had just assumed that it was because she sucked up to him all the time. And of course the Class Rep had more responsibilities, some of which required her to stay longer hours...

What Yoruichi couldn't get over was why Aizen was doing this. It didn't seem even remotely possible that he could be serious about caring for her, and it seemed terribly hypocritical of him to press the importance of rules on his students when he was breaking one that could cost him his job or put Momo in a terrible position. What if someone found out about them?

_Well,_ the dark-skinned girl though with an ironic smile, _I guess I'm someone, aren't I?_

What was there for her to do? Should she tell someone about them? It was illegal, and (she hated herself for being happy about it) it would probably get him banned from every school in the prefecture. But at the same time, what if this relationship was a real one? Did she have any right to interfere if they were happy? The young woman clutched her forehead and groaned as the strain from thinking too hard about the problem got to her. She shut off the TV with the nearby remote and slumped against the couch, heaving a sigh as she closed her eyes.

_...I guess I'll just keep quiet about it,_ Yoruichi admitted to herself as she tried to drift off to sleep.

**S**oi woke up the next morning covered in sweat, though whether it was from the summer humidity filling the room or her most recent dream about Yoruichi she wasn't sure. She had to admit as she got dressed that she hadn't expected for her emotions to wage such a strong battle within her once she'd seen the upperclassman yesterday, but now that she knew what to expect it might be a little easier to deal with. After a rushed breakfast of dry cereal and a quick chug of coffee the freshman headed off to school, the whole time assuring herself that this wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

_I can't avoid her,_ Soi thought seriously as she finally reached the school._ ...So I'll just have to be calm and think rationally._

Soi didn't take notice of the flyers until she nearly slipped on one in the school hallway, carelessly tossed aside by an apathetic-looking upperclassman in front of her. Bending down quickly to avoid being pushed over by the students flooding the hallway, the braided girl picked up the light blue sheet of paper and read it curiously.

_...A dance?_

"Hey, whatcha lookin' at?" At the sound of Yoruichi's voice Soi prepared to turn around but suddenly found the flyer snatched out of her hands by the grinning upperclassman. She nearly turned red from the girl's closeness but caught herself, employing a deep breath to prevent losing her nerve.

"Oh, uh...I dunno. I just picked it up off the floor..." Suddenly the freshman found the piece of paper back in her hands, Yoruichi groaning as she did so.

"Ah...THAT thing," Yoruichi said with an undercurrent of annoyance in her tone. The younger girl suddenly felt a little nervous about asking what she had been intending to but decided that it was probably better asking Yoruichi than anyone else.

"Y-Yoruichi-san... do you know about this dance?"

"Hmph. It's really not as big a deal as you'd think," the taller of the two says with a roll of the eyes. "...Just that everyone likes to pretend it is. They get all the upperclassman excited for this thing but it's just kinda boring."

"U-upperclassmen?" Soi inquired, a strange sort of anxiety building up in her chest as she said it.

"Yeah. See, the dance is only for Juniors and Seniors."

"...Oh..." Soi said with more disappointment then she had meant to. She didn't know why it even mattered to her-- she'd never liked these things before...

"Why do you ask? Did you wanna g--"

"N-no," the freshman answered quickly as she felt her face burning up. "I-I-I gotta get to first period, bye!" Before Yoruichi could ask her what was up, Soi had run off down the hall and around the corner, her path hidden by the people rushing past in both directions. Once Soi had gotten out of sight she slammed her back against the wall, clutching at a stitch in her chest in the hopes of slowing her pounding heart.

_Goddamnit...get it together, Soi!_ the girl chided herself once she realized she'd just run away again. Why couldn't she just ignore this, pretend it away like it didn't exist? She hadn't had any trouble talking to Yoruichi before, why couldn't she just go back to that?

_No...Be strong,_ she told herself evenly as she took a deep breath and headed toward her classroom.

_...I can do this._

Walking was apparently something she couldn't do however, because another of the stray flyers made contact with her foot and sent her flying onto her back.

**Y**oruichi gave a worried glance in the direction Soi had gone as she walked down the hallway, then turned away once she reached the stairs. It probably wasn't anything major, but the freshman was definitely acting strangely. She was considering trying to confront Soi about it at lunch when she nearly ran into someone.

"Woah! Sorr--" the young woman began, but the apology stuck in her throat when she saw whose path she had crossed.

"Oh! Hi, Yoruichi!" Momo smiled cheerfully at the taller girl. "...Don't worry about it-- I wasn't really paying attention, either..." she admitted as she glanced at the floor, trying to hide the slight blush on her face that had appeared upon recalling her most recent encounter with her lover.

"Oh...Hey, it's the Class Rep!" Yoruichi said with a grin of her own, recovering just enough to pass for normal conversation. "...How are you, Momo?"

"Me? I...I'm fine," she answered as the blush only grew deeper. The two girls were silent for a few moments, as Hinamori was lost in her thoughts and Yoruichi was feeling uncomfortable about the whole conversation. "...Well, we'd better get going," the tiny girl said as she glanced at her watch. "We're gonna be late for homeroom!"

"...Yeah..." Yoruichi agreed uneasily as Momo passed, suddenly noticing the unmistakable aroma of a strong perfume coming from the teen. She'd never noticed it on the petite girl before, but now Yoruichi wondered just how often she wore it, how many times she put it on for Aizen and if it meant they were planning another 'rendevous' that evening. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't accept any of this as being consentual; Aizen was a frigid bastard and Hinamori blushed every time someone so much as mentioned the word 'kiss.' There had to be something darker, more sinister to this...

**"A**hh-- Good morning, Miss Hinamori," the teacher of Class 4-E said with a warm smile as the girl entered.

"G-good morning, Aizen-sensei," Momo smiled back, and Yoruichi thought briefly that their eyes lingered for just a moment longer then was appropriate. She tried to walk past nonchalantly as she entered the nearly-full classroom but the bespectacled instructor caught her in the act.

"...Shouldn't you have been here five minutes ago, Miss Shihouin?" Yoruichi grimaced as she felt the eyes of every last student turn on her, but she was too proud to do something as undignified as stutter from embarrassment.

"...With all due respect, Aizen-sensei..." Yoruichi said as evenly as she could, "...The bell hasn't rung y--" As if the gods were in the business of taunting smart-aleck students, the chimes for the beginning of first hour sounded throughout the school. The upperclassman sighed as she felt a satisfied smile on Aizen's features, even though she hadn't bothered to look over.

"Well, then-- I guess class just started, didn't it? If you don't get to your seat immediately I could just fail you right now, Miss Shihouin...though God knows it wouldn't be difficult at this point."

"...Yes, Aizen-sensei," Yoruichi muttered through gritted teeth as she walked over to her seat, ignoring the handful of students who were foolish or ignorant enough to taunt her. As she sat down she caught the briefest of glimpses from Hinamori, a look that seemed to express empathy for her unfair treatment. It didn't satisy Yoruichi much, however, and as she took out her textbook Kuukaku leaned in to speak to her.

"Oooh, someone got in trouble..."

"Shut UP, Kuukaku," Yoruichi practically growled at her friend who recoiled in surprise. "...I'm NOT in the mood for this."

"If you don't mind, Miss Shihouin," Aizen said with just a bit of a taunt to his voice, "...I'd like to start the class NOW, but you can waste people's time with your banter later." Yoruichi said nothing as she felt her anger rising, the confusion over Soi's behavior earlier providing the kindling that her firery temper required to reach its peak. "Now then, Aizen continued as if nothing had happened, "...I'd like you all to pass in your assignment from yesterday, along with your take-home exam that covered the last week..."

_Oh God,_ Yoruichi thought wide-eyed as the entire class dug through their bookcases. She'd completely forgotten her homework after what she'd seen last night... As the boy next to her handed his papers in her direction, she passed them on, hoping no one would notice that she didn't have hers. Once all the papers got down to Aizen he began to rifle through them, as if checking to see that everyone had complied.

_Don't call my name out...Please, don't call my name out..._

"Well, well," the brown-haired teacher said with a self-righteous chuckle as he held up the stack, "...It would seem that Miss Shihouin's assignment isn't here. But, I'm sure she has a perfectly reliable story for it, don't you?" he finished as he and every other head in the class turned in her direction. Yoruichi clenched her fist beneath the desk, wanting more than anything to hurt Aizen right now but knowing that to do so wouldn't be in her best interests.

"...No..." she mumbled as she stared at the wooden surface of her desk.

"...Did you think that you were too GOOD to finish the assignment, Miss Shihouin?"

Silence.

"...Or maybe you just decided that it wasn't worth your PRECIOUS time?" When Yoruichi still didn't answer, but was shaking quietly with frustration, Aizen addressed the class as a whole. "Let this be a lesson to all of you that no matter how well-off you may be, your responsibilities are more important than wasting your time frivolously. Now as for Miss Hinamori here,"-- he turned to the tiny girl sitting up front-- "...It looks like she's got yet another perfect score in this class."

"Jeez, Aizen-- you don't need to butter your girlfriend up to get her to sleep with you again."

Yoruichi nearly covered her mouth as the jibe slipped out, but was a little too shocked by what she had just said to do anything. Almost as one the class began a chorus of catcalls and various phrases of disbelief, while both Aizen and Hinamori stared at the dark upperclassman with looks of utter shock glued to their faces. Pandemonium reigned for a few minutes as Aizen tried to regain his mental balance, but he finally snapped out of his stunned silence and addressed his students.

"That's enough, everyone...I SAID BE QUIET!" he finished at a yell, deriding himself as soon as he had spoken for only adding to the truth of Yoruichi's assumed slander. _"...Now...Let's move on with the lesson, all right?"_

For the rest of the period Aizen pretended like nothing had happened, and though Yoruichi was certain that Aizen would want to see her after class, he didn't so much as glance at her once the bell rang and the other students began filing out. That was all right by Yoruichi though, since she did feel terrible about what she had said.

_I promised myself I wouldn't say anything,_ she thought angrily. _How could I have been so goddamn careless?_

Taking a deep breath, Yoruichi decided that it probably wouldn't be that bad-- just a vague rumor for a few days, then it would tide over when the student body found something new to talk about.

_Still, I should apologize to Momo..._

**I**sane gritted her teeth as the iodide was dabbled onto her knee, both grateful that it would clean out the gash on her leg and wishing that someone could develop some antiseptic that didn't burn like hell when it got under the skin.

"Just hold still," Unohana said patiently as she pressed a washcloth to the girl's leg. In spite of the electric jolt that ran through her at the older woman's touch, Isane complied, contenting herself with looking around the room to avert her restlessness. "It certainly looks like it was a bad scrape...Miss Kotetsu?"

"Wh-what?" the short-haired girl managed as she realized that she'd just ended up staring at Unohana again, entranced by the texture of her dark hair and the gentle warmth of her eyes.

"...I hope you're not getting feverish as well-- your face is getting red..."

"Uh, n-no, I'm...I'm fine..." the girl answered after a moment, hating herself for not being able to even look her crush in the eye.

"This is the fourth time you've been in here this week, Miss Kotetsu. Please be more careful, all right?"

"Y-Yeah..." Isane had hoped that by trying to start a relationship over the summer with Soi Fong she'd be able to forget about Unohana, about this ridiculous infatuation she had for the school nurse, of all people. But if anything she'd only fallen deeper upon seeing her once school had started again, and just like last year she kept finding ways to injure herself and thus have an excuse to see her again.

_What am I still doing this for,_ Isane thought glumly to herself as she watched that gentle, compassionate woman turn around and soak the washcloth in the nearby sink. _There's no way she'd ever like me...I'm a student, for God's sake..._

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door to the nurse's office slid open and someone came in with a groan.

"Oh! Here, let me help you..." Unohana said warmly as she walked over to the room's new occupant.

"Ahh!" The girl hissed as Isane watched the nurse gingerly place a hand on her back, then began to help her over to where the cots sat.

"...Don't worry, Miss Fong, you'll be all right...I'll get some ice for that in just a minute."

_...Fong?_ Isane thought for a moment as the name suddenly registered with her again, then looked up to see the short freshman with the long braids sitting on a nearby cot, rubbing her apparently sore back.

"Soi?" the white-haired girl asked with disbelief even as she stared the girl who'd rejected her in the face. Upon hearing her name Soi looked up, her eyes widening in recognition.

"...Isane?"


	23. Good Things Ahead

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 23: Good Things Ahead

Aizen stared at the opposite wall as he stood in front of the receptionist's desk, Momo preferring to sit down a few feet behind him. The light-red shade of the Principal's office was barely visible beneath decorations the stoic-looking girl typing at the desk had set up for her boss: a variety of motivational posters, the occasional landscape that looked like it belonged in a Monet catalogue, a few potted ferns hanging from chains in the corner. He was fully aware of the worried sounds his young lover was making, but he barely suceeded in restraining the desire to go to her as it would only make their situation worse. After a few minutes the phone on the desk rang and its owner dutifully responded; she nodded into the phone along with a whispered reply, then hung up and gestured to the door.

"...The principal will see you both now," the girl said as she almost immediately went back to banging at the keys on her computer.

"Thank you, Nemu," Sosuke nodded casually as if this were only a routine occurence. He felt Hinamori's hand on his sleeve for a moment before he pushed it away, giving her a look that told her to refrain from such actions until things got quiet again. The girl nodded in disheartened understanding as the bespectacled man pushed the door open.

"Ahh...Sosuke...And Miss Hinamori, I believe?"

A withered old man sat behind the wide Principal's desk, inscribed with the name "Yamamoto" after the stating of his occupation. He appeared not to have gone bald so much as that his hair had simply decided to migrate from the top of his head to the bottom of his chin; his beard was a brilliant gray and seemed to go well below the surface of the polished mahogany, and the tone of his voice was as clear and commanding as if he was 50 years younger. The girl gave a frightened nod as she stood next to her lover, being careful not to get too close to him.

"Now, then..." Yamamoto began as he leaned forward in his leather armchair, "...I'm sure the both of you know why you are here..." When neither student nor teacher spoke the old man broke the silence. "...Well, as I'm sure you've heard, there have been rumors over the last week...concerning the both of you. Now I'm fully aware that gossip is something that teenagers do, and as such they're bound to...exagerrate certain things. But since rumors also contain a measure of truth, I've called you here to see just how reliable these whisperings are."

"Well...seems reasonable," Aizen said evenly, although inside he was relieved. Maybe he wouldn't be fired after all...

"...Is it true that you and Miss Hinamori have been engaged in relations during school hours?" The two blinked almost in unison at the absurdity of the accusation, no doubt an embellishment made by the 'imaginative' student body.

"O-of course not!" Momo practically yelled at the principal, her eyes burning with shame at the very idea. Aizen chanced a look in her direction as if to restrain her from accidentially letting something slip, but the petite girl halted of her own accord.

"I see..." Yamamoto answered with the nod, gracefully ignoring the student's rather disrespectful outburst. "...And have you done so outside of the school or on school property?"

"No," Aizen answered calmly, a little surprised at how easily he was finding it to decieve the man who he owe his job to.

"And the two of you have not been 'involved' with each other in ANY way?" At this Sosuke hesitated and Hinamori glanced at him. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Momo that he'd cared about her... Could he really just push away everything they had with a single utterance?

"...I'm waiting," the Principal said calmly, snapping Aizen back to reality. He looked away from Hinamori as he answered.

"No. I'm afraid everything you've been hearing has been a lie. There's nothing going on between Miss Hinamori and myself." He caught the slightest hint of the crushed look on Momo's face as he met Yamamoto's piercing gaze full-on. After a little while the principal relaxed back into his chair, giving the teacher a nod that seemed to express his contentment.

"Very well-- if that is the truth then there is little reason to doubt you, Sosuke. But even so, I'd like to keep the two of you seperated and am going to have Miss Hinamori moved into a different homeroom. I imagine you'd rather have that then run the risk of having your career put in jepoardy over something as silly as this, correct?" Yamamoto added once he saw Aizen open his mouth to retort. The young man pushed his thick-rimmed glasses further up the bridge of his nose, and at another nod from Yamamoto he took his leave.

* * *

Yoruichi had just entered the main office when Aizen bumped past her. She was about to at least urge him to apologize when he suddenly glared at her. It didn't intimidate her as Sosuke had been hoping but it certainly let her know that none of this was over. The dark-toned girl had to admit that she had been feeling rather guilty over the whole thing, over the way that kids would go out of their way to pick on Hinamori about 'just how close she was with Aizen-sensei.' She'd tried to help once but Momo had just ignored her, and for the last week she'd stood apart while the poor girl suffered silently. She was about to continue on her way to the guidance counselor's office, but then she noticed the object of her musing walking towards the exit. 

"H-hey, Momo!" Hinamori stopped at the sound of her name, but didn't turn to look at Yoruichi. "...Listen...I-I'm really sorry about...you know...what I said in cl--"

"...Don't you think you've said enough?"

This time Yoruichi recoiled as Momo turned her angry, tear-brimmed eyes in her direction, the gaze expressing more of her heartbreak and humiliation than the girl would have cared to admit. After a moment Hinamori stormed out of the office, ignoring the receptionist's entreaty that she be quiet as she shut it with a bang. Yoruichi stared at the doorway for a good two minutes before she gave a sigh of defeat and continued on her way.

* * *

"Hey, Shihouin-san-- I was wondering where you were hiding at." 

Yoruichi shook off her musings physically before offering a friendly smile to her counselor.

"Oh, come on Hisagi-san...I'm only a few minutes late."

Shuuhei Hisagi, on first glance, was not the sort of person one would think could be in the business of helping students to find themselves and to pick classes, and that was exactly what Yoruichi had thought three years ago. He looked more like he belonged in a street gang than anything else; his hair had been dyed purple, and in addition to the rather questionably tasteful '69' tattoo on his left cheek his ears were covered with piercings and he had a leather choke collar around his neck. He had known that getting a job at a school like this one had been more a decision based on quotas then on merit (they needed to prove that they were an 'equal opportunity employer,' after all), but in the short time he'd been here many of the students, especially the girls, had taken to his carefree and unhurried additude. He treated his students like they were intelligent human beings, and as such they responded positively toward him more so than others. Even Yoruichi had to admit that in earlier years she would've jumped him the second she could get a 'private session,' but with her age had come a certain degree of maturity.

"Yeah, better late than never with YOU, I guess..." Shuuhei answered with a smirk as Yoruichi sat herself down.

"So...why'd you call me here?" Yoruichi asked cautiously, wondering if Aizen had said anything about her being at the heart of the rumor.

"Well, I've got some pretty good news..." the young man said as he pulled out a manilla folder and flipped through the pages, a sly grin finding its way to his features. Yoruichi knew he was baiting her, but she decided that it was better to play along then to put up a fight if she wanted a quick answer.

"...What kinda good news?"

"Oh, just the REALLY good kind," Shuuhei answered, slumping in his chair a little bit while he twirled the folder back and forth in his fingers. "In fact, it's such good news th--"

"Seriously, just tell me, okay!...Uh...Hisagi-san."

Shuuhei flinched at the sudden irritation in his student's voice, but straightened up in his seat nonetheless.

"Well, since you're so insistent...Do you remember that application I suggested you fill out before summer break?" Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she tried to recall what he was referring to, but soon enough her eyes widened in surprised understanding.

"Y-You mean th--" Shuuhei gave a smug nod of affirmation as Yoruichi leaned forward in her chair, her silent awe soon being replaced with ecstatic energy. She began to pace the room rapidly, a disbelieveing smile lighting her features and driving all other concerns from her mind. It took all her self control to force her feet to stop, and to turn to her counselor and shake his extended hand.

"Congratulations, Yoruichi. I hope you enjoy it." Yoruichi nodded enthusiastically as she left waiting until she'd left the Principal's office to let out a whoop that knocked one of the pictures off the counselor's wall.

* * *

"...Are you serious?" Kisuke said wide-eyed as Yoruichi related what she had been told in the couselor's office. "That's great! Wow, so when do you start?" 

"Next year--just after graduation," Yoruichi said with a content grin as she bit into the sandwich she'd bought from the school's cafeteria, her mood too high to be brought down by the rather low quality of the meal. "...I gotta admit, it'll be kinda weird to think that I'm leaving..."

"Well, this is a great opportunity! How often does this sort of thing come along, AND for free?"

"Yeah, but..." Yoruichi said lazily as she finished the meal in a few bites, tossing the remnants into the garbage and leaving the cafeteria with her best friend, "...I'm failing Math now... I thought they looked for straight-A students for this sort of thing..."

"Are you kidding?" Kisuke asked with an arch of the eyebrow, taking the cap off his soda bottle as he did so. "It's a merit-based thing too, so it's no wonder they let you in..." Yoruichi gave an admissive nod as they continued down the hall, the blonde teen blinking when his friend went past their hallway.

"Hey, where you goin'?"

"Oh, I'm just gonna look for Soi," Yoruichi answered casually as she headed for the freshman's locker. "...I haven't seen her at lunch over the last few days, so I just thought I'd check up on her." Urahara nearly made a snide comment about what exactly she meant by 'checking up' but decided against it, as he didn't want to feel the wrath of Yoruichi that she'd spared him of so far today. It wasn't far to Soi's locker, but when they got within view Soi was already there, and to Yoruichi's slight annoyance she was talking to Isane.

"What the hell's SHE doing here?" Yoruichi grumbled as she glanced at the two girls from across the hall.

"...You mean besides going to sch--" A swift smack on the head ended Urahara's smart-alec remark, and the boy rubbed his crown where the blow had landed. He would've asked what she had done that for were it not for the cold fire burning in her golden eyes. "...Well, I'm gonna go to class," Kisuke said evasively as he headed back down the hall, hoping that if anything else happened that Yoruichi didn't like, she at least wouldn't be able to use him for a punching bag. After a few minutes Isane smiled at Soi as she waved goodbye, then the freshman turned to her locker and began turning the dial.

"So... into older women, are you?"

Soi immedately froze up at the tone in Yoruichi's voice as it came out of nowhere behind her, both knowing and slightly teasing at the same time. Did she find out about...how she felt?

_Oh God...what if she says she doesn't want to be friends anymore? What if she says she doesn't feel comfortable with me like that?_

"H-h-huh?" Soi turned around so fast that she nearly dropped the heavy books she was arranging to get at a smaller one on the bottom, but Yoruichi tilted her head in the direction Isane had gone.

"You know--Kotetsu-chan," Yoruichi said with plenty of disdainful emphasis on the supposedly respectful title. "...Did she finally get that date out of you or what?"

"...Oh..." Soi muttered in comprehension after a moment. "No, it's nothing like that-- see, I met her in the nurse's office last week, and we just kinda started hanging out. She told me she really had someone else she was interested in, anyway." Yoruichi said nothing more about the white-haired Junior, but her demeanor towards Soi seemed to lighten almost immediately.

"Well, how have you been, Soi? I don't see you at lunch anymore..."

"I...I'm sorry, Yoruichi-san. I was just meeting some of Isane's friends. They're pretty nice too, just a little weird... Oh, and I have something to tell you!" Soi began to smile brightly at whatever news she had, which only made Yoruichi more curious.

"Well, so do I-- but you go ahead, okay?"

"...Isane invited me to the dance!"

"WHAT?"

Yoruichi blinked as all the chatter in the hallway stopped for just a moment and every eye turned to her in flabbergasted silence. Had she really just...YELLED that? After a moment everyone turned away again, as though they had been waiting for Yoruichi to do something more entertaining to keep their attention.

"...I thought you just said that she wasn't 'into' you!" Yoruichi growled at Soi in a dangerous whisper, the smaller girl recoiling slightly at her friend's sudden change in behavior.

"W-why are you so upset about this, Yoruichi-san? She DOESN'T like me-- she just invited me because she had an extra seat in the limo... she's going with a bunch of other friends and she thought I might want to come. I wasn't really thinking about it, s-so I just said yes!" Yoruichi stared hard at her for an instant, almost in the manner a prosecutor would when trying to pry the truth out of a witness. She was still feeling a little uncertain about it when Soi spoke up. "Anyway...what did YOU want to telll me about, Yoruichi-san?" At recalling her surprise from earlier in the day, Yoruichi's additude brightened considerably, which only made Soi more curious.

"Okay...you're not gonna believe this even if I tell you..."

"Try me," Soi answered with a sly grin to rival Yoruichi's own, which only made the upperclassman's smile widen. "...What happened?"

"I'm going to America!"


	24. As One

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 24: As One

Soi blinked, her smile nearly disappearing like mist in the dawn as the impact of Yoruichi's words hit her like a sledgehammer. _That CAN'T be_, her brain protested weakly, as if merely thinking so would make the older girl's statement untrue.

"...Well? Whaddaya think?" Yoruichi asked with a grin, her enthusiasm more than evident to the freshman. "...I signed up for the study abroad program MONTHS ago, but I didn't think that it would happen!" Soi still didn't know what to say; she needed a day, a week, a year to mull it over and even come close to accepting it, but even so she flashed a warm smile in Yoruichi's direction.

"T-that's great!" the shorter girl answered, beaming proudly at her sempai as though her life depended on it. "Congratulations, Yoruichi!" At her friend's positive response Yoruichi began to ramble about where she was going to be, what college she'd be at, but as Soi walked along the words didn't stick in her mind, all she could think about was what really lay at the heart of that statement.

Yoruichi was leaving; would be long gone in less than a year. Far away from home, from everything familiar...

_...From me..._

"Y-Yoruichi-san?"

"...And it's probably gonna be somewhere in California, I th...Oh, sorry!" Yoruichi apologized when she realized she'd been talking too fast for Soi to keep up, ashamed of herself for droning on like an airheaded mallrat. "Did you wanna tell me something?" She felt a little worried as she looked at her friend; her dark eyes seemed ambivalent and uncertain as she stared at a point somewhere beyond Yoruichi's feet.

"Well..."

_Don't go. Stay with me. I need you to look after me, to make me laugh, to..._

Even as she heard something inside her whisper this to her brain, urging her onward, the words only stuck in Soi's throat, halted by fear and shame. She couldn't tell Yoruichi this-- what right was it of hers to make her sempai feel guilty about something that she herself would've loved to experience, about these feelings in the pit of her stomach that grew a hundred times over at the thought of no longer being apart of her life?

"...Soi?"

"So...California, huh?" the freshman finally said, forcing an interested grin on her face. "...Do you know where exactly?"

"Well, not yet," Yoruichi admitted after a brief pause, "...But I think I saw something about UCLA on the list of host schools... But anyway, enough about me-- What about you? Are you excited?"

"...For what?" Soi asked seriously, confused when Yoruichi's expression suddenly became agitated.

"For the dance! You said Kotetsu invited you, right?"

"Oh yeah..." To be honest, Soi had completely forgotten about it the minute Yoruichi had mentioned 'America.'

"Well, have you thought about what you're going to wear?" the upperclassman asked curiously, stalling by the stairwell that led up to her next class so she could continue the conversation. "It should be something nice, even if you're going with friends..." Soi only shrugged in response, not having really given it much thought.

"Well, I've probably got something in my closet, but..."

"Here, tell you what," Yoruichi said as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "...I'll come over this weekend and help you sort through your stuff, okay?"

"S-sure," Soi whispered, all too aware of the way Yoruichi was so casually touching her.

"Great! See you later, okay?" Soi waved a farewell as the older girl left, then headed to her next class in a daze.

* * *

"Hey, honey!" Soi blinked out of her fog at the sound of her father's voice, sighing as she started to make her way up the steps.

"...Hi, Dad..." The older man peeked out of the kitchen to see his daughter glumly climbing the stairs, her face even more stoic than it had been in a long time.

"...Is something wrong, Soi?"

"No," the freshman lied as she kept her steady pace up the stairs. "...I'm just gonna go take a shower." Hopefully things'll look better afterwards, she thought darkly.

"Oh-- But your friends are here! Don't you wanna say hello?" Soi turned to look at her father as she stopped, uncertain if he was just telling a joke at her expense or not.

"...My...?" As if on cue, Yoruichi stepped out of the kitchen and smiled, followed closely behind by Kisuke who was carrying a boombox over his shoulder.

* * *

"So..." the Chinese girl asked cautiously as she glanced at Yoruichi, standing a few feet away from her on the back porch while Kisuke looked around the walls near the door, "...What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, I figured you didn't know how to dance, so I thought we could practice. You know, just for a few days until the big night." Soi's face turned even redder than a Christmas tree light as soon as Yoruichi was finished, forgetting her depression with a simple utterance.

"D-d-d-dance!" The freshman's voice nearly cracked, shattered at the prospect that lay before her. Yoruichi looked at her quizically while Soi seemed bewildered at her own outburst, then spoke in a much more reserved tone. "B...but what makes you think I don't know how to dance?"

"Your dad told me," Yoruichi answered blithely, and Soi blushed even harder if it was possible.

"Hey, do you have a power outlet?" Kisuke asked from the direction of the house.

"Oh, uh," Soi turned to the blonde, still blushing slightly, "...We don't have anything like that out here." Urahara looked slightly put-off by this information, but then only shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah, that's okay-- I've got batteries in the thing anyway," he said while indicating the boombox he set on the square of concrete that stood against the surrounding grass.

"L-look," the freshman began, indignant despite being faced with the truth, "...I'm just going with friends, and it's not like waving my arms and bouncing around is hard." Yoruichi chuckled at her friend's assessment, but Soi continued unimpeded. "...Besides, I thought you said that these dances are stupid."

"I didn't say THAT," Yoruichi amended, looking almost comically offended by the statement. "...I said they were BORING. But just because I didn't have a good experience doesn't meant that you won't, you know." Soi gave an admissive nod just as Kisuke walked up to the pair.

"Okay, all set."

"Thanks," Yoruichi smiled at her friend, and to Soi's displeasure Yoruichi walked away from her, replacing the blonde boy's position at the stereo. "Okay, just walk her through the basics, okay?"

"H-huh? HIM?" Soi blurted out, pointing at Urahara as if his very presence was abhorrent. "B-but I thought..." the teen stopped herself before she could reveal herself further, causing the older girl to raise a confused eyebrow.

"...Thought what?" When Soi just continued to stare at the grass, Yoruichi gave her friend an apologetic look. "Sorry, but he's the only guy I could find who'd do it. Besides, he's pretty good-- I can tell you that we DID cut a rug at that dance." She glanced at Kisuke and gave a reminiscent grin, at which Soi felt herself grow indignant despite the obvious innocence of the recollection. Yet for her jealousy there was something about what Yoruichi had said that bothered her more.

"...Why would I need a guy to dance with?"

"Well, who else would it be?" Yoruichi shrugged, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "...Besides, what are you gonna do if you see a nice-lookin' boy who wants to dance? You might even get, you know..."

"Yoruichi-san..." Soi blushed angrily at the implication while the upperclassman gave a teasing laugh. Not that it would matter if the most popular guy in school confessed his undying love for her-- not when she had Yoruichi...

"C'mon, let's get started," Kisuke said with a lazy grin, making Soi recoil slightly when he placed a hand on the freshman's waist and grabbed her free hand with his own. "...Put your other hand on my shoulder, okay?" He nearly broke into laughter as Soi glared at him and reluctantly complied with such force that her displeasure was more than clear. When they were in position, Yoruichi leaned down and hit the play button, and music immediately began to play.

"I swear, Kisuke-- you and your mix tapes..." the dark-skinned girl said with a roll of the eyes as she took a seat on the concrete and looked at the awkward pair. Soi listened to the music from her position, slightly confused by the fact that it didn't sound like pop, or for that matter anything that she might have heard in her lifetime. In either case, it only proved to her that the older boy was strange, especially if he listened to music this old.

"C'mon, now just let me lead, okay? It's left, right, left, left... Okay, pretty good, you're gettin' it," Kisuke encouraged his protege gently, smiling with the sort of pride teacher take in their pupils as the girl slowly got the hang of the movement.

Jeez, Soi thought as she occasionally took a glance at her feet, struggling to keep up with Urahara's pace. She would have believed that after taking Karate, dancing would be easy, but she was just struggling to keep up. Maybe it was just the way she was, unfeminine and graceless, she considered with a dark chuckle. She glanced away from Kisuke to find Yoruichi smiling in their direction, an action that she was more than willing to believe was intended for her. Soi tried to hide her blush as she turned back to her partner but the boy noticed this time, though once again choosing to say nothing.

They continued dancing to the slow, lilting tempo of the brassy music for a few minutes, or at least until she felt something land on her right foot, causing her to wince.

"Oh, sorry! Missed a step there," Urahara apologized with a worried smile. Soi didn't pay it any mind the first time, but after a few more instances of toe-crushing the freshman finally protested.

"Hey, watch where you're putting your feet!" Soi growled, angrier than she should have been though she didn't know why.

"God, Kisuke... All right, that's it," Yoruichi sighed in annoyance as she pushed her friend forcefully away, filling his former position instantly. "...We're switching out."

"Sorry, Yoruichi. I'm just all left feet today, I guess..." Kisuke shrugged as he hid his smile. His confidant gave an annoyed huff before turning to Soi.

"...Is that okay? I mean, if you'd rather do it with someone e--"

"NO!" Soi practically yelled, but then overcorrected herself and whispered the rest. "...I mean, i-i-it's no big d-deal..." She nearly fainted as Yoruichi nodded, then put her hands where Kisuke's had been moments ago, the younger of the two feeling a jolt of lighting run through her where SHE was touching her.

"Okay, let's try again. Kisuke, play something else-- you know I hate this song." Urahara nodded and hit the fast-forward button for the next song, and as soon as the violins began their melody Yoruichi began to move. "Here, try maintaining eye contact-- that can help."

"Huh?" Soi muttered, blinking as she realized she'd been staring into space, her feet moving along with Yoruichi's as if they were choreographed. She slowly lifted her eyes to the older girl's, at the goldenrod globes staring calmly down at her. Focused completely, suddenly hearing the music, Soi danced; her body moving as the sound and Yoruichi's graceful steps dictated.

_...You do something to me_

_You send chills right through me_

_When I look at you_

_'Cause you're my thrill..._

The smile that had been on Yoruichi's face in defiant victory over Kisuke faded, slowly, as she continued to keep her eyes on Soi's, slowly becoming aware of the warmth flowing through her hands where the other girl was. She wasn't even aware of when she'd stopped looking and begun STARING, feeling lost in that maelstrom of warm silver irises.

_You're my thrill_

_How my pulse increases_

_I just go to pieces_

_When I look at you_

_'Cause you're my thrill..._

The older girl felt strange all of a sudden, almost constricted as if she couldn't breathe.

_Mmm..._

_Nothin' seems to matter..._

She tried to stop but her body had begun acting entirely on its own, her feet wearing down the yellowing grass along with Soi's as they kept circling, lost in the haunting melody, off in their own little world.

_Mmm..._

_Here's my heart on a silver platter_

_Where's my will_

_Why this strange desire..._

Soi was starting to get dizzy, but whether the source was the dancing or Yoruichi wasn't entirely clear-- at least not until the older girl's hand gently tightened around her waist, holding her that much closer without realizing it. Yoruichi's eyes were every bit as entrancing, as commanding as they had been at the festival, and it took every last bit of Soi's self-control to keep from pulling the Goddess down, strength be damned, and kiss her, make her love her...

_When I look at you_

_I can't keep still..._

"Guys?"

At the sound of Kisuke's voice the spell was broken, both girls straighted just enough to come back to reality.

"W...what?" Yoruichi muttered as she flinched, blinking furiously as if she'd been asleep. Had she just been...daydreaming? she wondered, surprised at herself.

"Uh...it's kinda late..." Soi blushed as she looked at the horizon to realize Kisuke was right; the sun was sitting much lower in the sky then it had just a little while ago.

"Okay...w-well, you go ahead and go inside, okay? I'll just be a minute," Yoruichi said as casually as she could to her friend, who stared at them oddly for a minute before picking up the boombox, turning the machine off as he opened the screen door. Yoruichi wondered what he had been staring at for only a moment until she realized that she and Soi were still intertwined, her arm actually wrapped around the freshman's waist and holding her less than an inch away. Rather than wonder how that had occured the upperclassman glanced at her friend, who seemed equally aware of the awkwardness of their possession but seemed as strangely reluctant as her to be the first to move away.

"Um...we should be g-getting inside, Y-Yoruichi-san...A-a-and thanks for c-coming over," she added hurriedly even as she tried to subdue her rather pleasant discomfort.

"...Soi..."

The seriousness in Yoruichi's eyes made her even more paralyzed than before, brimming with something the younger girl couldn't quite place.

"...Uhh?" she grunted, too nervous to say anything more coherent, her beloved's presence dulling her higher brain functions. She felt Yoruichi lean forward slightly, felt her own eyes hover on the brink of shutting. Yoruichi was so close suddenly, her breath just barely ghosting the Chinese girl's face for nearly a minute.

"...Good job today."

Soi blinked, felt the moment fade as Yoruichi ruffled her hair, her mischevious grin back in place as she pulled away like nothing had happened. She stared at the older girl as she headed inside, dark hair swaying hypnotically behind her in that ponytail as she walked.

Yoruichi tried to recall what had just happened to her, the alien warmth that had numbed her senses only a moment ago. Dismissing it as nothing, she didn't notice it again until she waved goodbye to Soi and even then it felt like she'd imagined it.

A/N: I don't own "You're My Thrill" by Billie Holiday.


	25. Making Preparations

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 25: Making Preparations

Aizen glanced at the clock on the wall, its hands reading that it was a quarter to four while it ticked steadily away. He'd tried to get near Momo for the last few days, but from teachers to a gaggle of students she never seemed to be alone anymore. The gratitude he'd felt at first of not losing his job had long since faded, slowly replaced by a festering resentment that had led to this meeting he'd requested earlier in the day. While he'd blamed himself at first for letting things get so out of hand, which had never happened before, the teacher had soon had an epiphany as to the real target of his anger.

Yoruichi Shihouin had done this to him, had destroyed the closest thing to a relationship he'd had in years with a single utterance. It was her, and not himself or even the Principal that deserved his wrath now. He already had enough information on her to satisfy even the most insatiable of gossipers, but he doubted that the dark-skinned girl was the type to be bothered by such things. He'd need to get to her another way. A knock at the door interrupted his musings and he straightened in his seat slightly.

"...Come in, Ichimaru."

Gin opened the classroom door with a casual shove, walking into the empty room with a saunter even though he was unsure about the whole situation. Aizen wasn't one of his teachers, so what could he want him for?

"Hey, teach," the perpetually grinning boy said as he slid into a nearby desk. "...So whaddya want?"

"Well..." the bespectacled man began nonchalantly, "...I was wondering how well you knew Yoruichi Shihouin." He grinned in spite of himself as the boy's smile faltered for barely a second-- just long enough to tell him there was no love lost between the two.

"...Why'd ya wanna know 'bout that?"

"Just curious," Aizen replied with a shrug. "...I suppose you could say that she's in some trouble." There was a silence as Gin considered the significance of the statement, then Aizen continued. "...I'm fully aware of your...reputation...and I was curious as to whether or not you'd like to assist me."

Gin blinked, surprised at what he was hearing. Wasn't Aizen supposedly this pillar of upstanding morality, beloved by nearly every goody-two-shoes the school had to offer?

"No one would know it was you, of course...but I can assure you that you won't go unrewarded for your efforts."

"...Eh. Not int'rested." Aizen stared at the lanky teen, certain he had heard wrong.

"...I'm sorry?"

"Don't worry. I won't rat ya out, but this kinda thing isn't my style." He'd seen teachers crack before (having more than once been the root cause) and he knew that if one was to ask a petty thug like him for aid that it was something big-- too big for him to stick his nose into. After a few stunned moments the teacher nodded, accepting the boy's response.

"...Very well. But there's one more thing..." Aizen dug in the top drawer of his desk for only a moment before pulling out a clean sheet of paper. "...I'd like to ensure that Miss Shihouin's friends aren't dragged into all this when I address her behavior to the Principal. Is there anyone you know of who's particularly close to her?" Ichimaru doubted greatly that Aizen was gathering this information for the safety of Yoruichi's companions, but deciding that he probably wouldn't do anything terribly malicious the boy consented.

"Hmm...Well, Kisuke Urahara's around her a lot..."

No good, Aizen thought as he wrote the name down. He knew as well as anyone how far back they went, but such an obvious target might draw too much attention back to himself. Besides, he doubted that the boy would be easily vulnerable to an attack, open or not.

"...Kuukaku Shiba..."

Not much better. She might be even more of a problem than Urahara to deal with, not to mention that she bore a great deal of resentment toward him anyway and would be the first on her 'suspects list.'

"...Oh, yeah...an' Soi Fong."

"...Who?" Aizen blinked as his pencil stopped, halted at the unfamiliar name.

"Ya probably don't know 'er," Gin answered with a shrug. "...Freshman. Been hangin' around Shihouin quite a bit lately." Something about this confused the instructor, and he adjusted his thick glasses as if to improve blood flow to his brain.

"...Why would she be in the company of a freshman? Doesn't she ignore people like that?"

"Dunno. Her business, not mine." When Aizen didn't answer, Ichimaru gave a sigh and headed for the door. "Well, later teach. I got stuff ta do anyway." Sosuke was aware that he might have nodded but he was too focused on the last name on his list to care. A freshman...probably not too strong... he pulled out another list, one of all the hoodlums and punks he'd kept track of over his years as a teacher and ran his fingers down the lines of information. With a target in mind, he looked for an equally suitable pawn. Once he found one, he was about to circle the number when he hesiated. Was he really willing to risk throwing all this away-- his job and his reputation-- to get back at Yoruichi? He had only to recall the crushed look on Momo's face in the Principal's office before he regained his resolve and highlighted the contact information in yellow.

* * *

"Soi! HEY, SOI! WAKE UP!" The freshman groaned and was about to implore the voice for five more minutes when she suddenly realized that it was Yoruichi's calling from the opposite side of the door. 

"Y-Yoruichi?...It's Saturday...what're you doin' here?"

"...What kind of a question is that? Come on! We were gonna go through your clothes for the dance, remember? Oh, mind if I come in?" Soi blinked awake instantly as her friend pushed the door open, gathering the loose covers around her as quickly as she could. "...You're just in your pajamas, for God's sake," the upperclassman quipped with a roll of the eyes as she yanked the sheets off Soi's bed. "Now you go get some breakfast real quick, and I'll look through what you got."

"Huh?" Soi yawned, rubbing her eyes in an effort to force herself to cognizance. "Wha' for?"

"Well, if I'm gonna take you shopping then we need to figure out what you're gonna need, right?

"S-Shopping? But you didn't say anything about that," Soi exclaimed at the rather surprising way this information had been tossed at her. "...I've gotta get homework done today, and besides th--" Yoruichi silenced the girl with a hissing sound as she held her finger over her own lips.

"No talking! Now go get somethin' to eat and then get your butt back up here!" The freshman's eyes widened in surprise at the 'order' but she complied nontheless, bustling out of the room so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet.

* * *

"Okay, Yoruichi, I'm r-- What the hell are you doing!" The upperclassman blinked as she poked her head out from the tiny closet, tossing an old blue sweater out from behind her as she did so. 

"...I'm going through your clothes, of course... what does it look like?" Soi stared in horror as her immaculately clean room (or as clean as it could get, anyway) was now covered with clothing she'd packed away or carefully stored, had put in boxes that had balanced precariously in the far corner of the space until a few minutes ago.

"...Like a tsunami hit! What's going on? I thought you were just going to look at the stuff that was on hangers!"

"Well, I was GOING to," Yoruichi said wryly as she held up a t-shirt with a Doraemon picture emblazoned across the front, then heaved it over her head and onto the floor behind her, "...but all of it was either unsuitable or school uniforms."

"...'Unsuitable?'" the Chinese girl asked indignantly, walking up to her friend with a furrowed brow. She knew she wasn't exactly a Shinjuku regular but that didn't mean she didn't have a sense of fashion that worked for her. "What's wrong with this?" Soi held up one of her favorite dress shirts, a red one that had a slight frill at the hem and the ends of the sleeves.

"Come ON, Soi... You really think that anyone goes to these things dressed like they're at a parent's dinner party?"

"I don't give a damn WHAT anyone thinks I'm wearing," Soi said with a degree of pride that intrigued Yoruichi, though she didn't voice it. "..I'm not gonna go looking like a slut." The older girl stared for a moment, then broke into laughter at her friend's statement, giggling so hard that she doubled over and plopped onto the floor. Soi would have been angry but she ran over instead, worried that Yoruichi had hurt herself.

"D...don't worry," Yoruichi said through mirthful tears as she managed to get back on her feet. "...The clothes broke my fall. Oh God, the way you just SAID that..." She started to chuckle again only to hear Soi reluctantly join in, and after a few moments Yoruichi got a hold of herself and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Seriously, though, you should wear something NICE... Trust me, it can feel good to dress up once in a while." Soi knew that if Yoruichi hadn't made that little bit of physical contact she probably could've put up more of a fight, but instead she found herself giving an acquiescent sigh and minutes later waving goodbye to her father while Yoruichi assured him that she'd have his daugher home in time for dinner.

* * *

Soi had to admit that while she hated the act of shopping, she was happy with Yoruichi's choice of location. She preferred the shopping arcade to the noisy malls, full of grungy kids who were probably drug dealers and obnoxious sales people who were obviously working on commission, always cloying and presenting the most expensive piece of attire they had in stock. Normally she bought clothing only in the most dire of times when her shirts and pants had gotten too small for her and she was forced to accept the money her father gave. 

"...Hey, let's go here first," Yoruichi called over the din of the open market as she nudged Soi into what looked like an accesories shop, full of second-hand and homemade hairpieces and earrings.

"You sure seem to know your way around here, Yoruichi-san..." Soi said with a bit of surprise as she glanced around the shop, having never gotten this far into the arcade before; she usually just found the closest store and got her business done with minimal fuss.

"What, I can't shop at a normal place?" the girl asked teasingly, and to her delight Soi blushed and hung her head.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it..."

"Just kidding, Soi! Jeez..." Yoruichi smiled, then headed straight for a small table with different colored pieces on it. "Well, let's start with earrings first... You prefer silver over gold or the other way around?"

"Um, silver, I guess..." Soi said with evident unease, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Just seeing Yoruichi get so enthusiastic over her like this...she wasn't sure if she should read more into it then that, but... "Actually," the freshman admitted as she shifted her gaze to the little girl in the piercing booth screaming out in agony, "...I kinda don't wear earrings." Yoruichi looked at her friend as though she lived in a foreign country, then gave a sigh as she put down a pair of hoops that would've looked perfect on the freshman.

"Well, I guess that leaves that out earrings..." the senior admitted with a groan as she headed for another table, this one covered with bands and necklaces. "You don't have any reasonable objections to wearing anything like this, do you?"

"I, uh, guess not..."

"Good, 'cause you're getting some," Yoruichi said with a grin as she started digging throught the bracelets. "Let's see...no, too big...these are a little too gaudy..."

"Hey, what about this?" Soi asked as she held up a bracelet set, each one bearing a swirling pattern on its wide face in alternating silver and copper. Her older companion looked at it for a minute before raising an eyebrow in slight disgust.

"Ehh..." she intoned as she guided Soi's hand down, placing the jewelry back, "...I don't know if that's really for you. Tell you what, just let me see what I can find, okay?"

"...Okay..." Soi grudgingly admitted as she let go of the bracelet and allowed Yoruichi to return to her searching.

* * *

"Well, only one thing left to get," Yoruichi said with a significance that implied it was the most important thing of all as they headed into a small shop near the end of the district. Soi felt the bile in her throat rise as she walked through the door, into territory both unknown and unwelcome. 

"...I still don't see why I have to wear a dress," the freshman grumbled as she shifted the bag in her right hand to her left. "Can't I just wear a nice suit or something?"

"What, and have people thinking you're a boy?" Yoruichi teased as they started to wander past the racks of multicolored cloth, through forests of skirts ranging in length from puritan to scandalous.

"Seriously, Yoruichi! I'm just gonna look and feel stupid if I'm primped up like that," Soi replied with a slight edge to her voice. "...I haven't worn one of those things since I was at my grandma's funeral, for crying out loud." Yoruichi managed to resist the desire to ask how long ago that was since by the younger girl's tone it couldn't have been recent.

"Oh, come on, Soi..." Yoruichi said as she turned around, making the younger girl stop just before running into her. "You're way too critical of your appearance. I happen to think that you're very cute."

"H-huh?" Soi said dumbly as her eyes went wide, knowing that she was being ridiculous but unable to stop herself from reacting. "...Really?"

"Well, yeah," the upperclassman said with a bit of confusion, as if it was no big deal. "...Now come on, I'll help you find something good."

"Well, actually," Soi began as Yoruichi set about examining the nearest rack of formal dresses, feeling a strange sort of confidence at the older girl's words, "...I think I wanna pick this one out myself."

"Well, that's no problem...You just show 'em to me and I'll see how well they work for y--" Yoruichi was cut off as Soi interrupted, biting her lip nervously as if she was about to say something heretical in the presence of a religious zealot.

"No...I mean, I want to do this on my own." There was a silence as Yoruichi stared at the girl, wondering if she was serious.

"Well, you kinda don't have any fashion s--" As soon as she'd said it Yoruichi regretted it; especially when Soi's eyes turned from dinner plates to slivers and her nervous shaking ended.

"...I...I can find a dress! You think I can't make a decision for myself?" When Yoruichi didn't answer Soi began shoving her friend toward the door, even though she didn't actually succeed in pushing the older girl more than a few inches. "That's it! You...wait out...side...and I'll be out in fifteen minutes!" When she couldn't push anymore Yoruichi shrugged and headed for the door, wearing a condescending grin on her face.

"All right...but if you take more than that I'm gonna come back in and pick something out."

"Fine!" Soi growled with an almost childlike petulance, then stormed off as the bell on the door jingled behind Yoruichi, dashing straight for the formal dresses.

_What did I just get myself into, _Soi groaned to herself, cursing her pride for getting the best of her. She didn't know the first thing about dresses but here she was, with no guidance as she searched through racks in her size (she assumed). But for Yoruichi to think she was completely helpless... she shoved the thought away as she scrambled, casting aside a slinky red dress that ended just at the calves, then ignored one with poofy sleeves and too long a hem in lavender with sequins. Soi's time was almost up when she stumbled across the black dresses and stopped. She stared at the one that had caught her eye, then took it off its stand and held up for a better view. Elegant, but not flashy... conservatively designed, but not without an indescribable sensuality... not too mention that she rather liked the way the red sash complimented the dress... She was certain that it would've been out of her price range until she glanced at the tag, and finding that it was on clearance immediately rushed to the dressing room.

* * *

Yoruichi sighed as she leaned against the outer wall of the shop, glancing at her watch and smiling victoriously. It had been nearly thirteen minutes since she'd left the building and still Soi wasn't out yet. Not that she blamed her; she didn't know a single girl who could've found a decent outfit in only a quarter of an hour. Most likely she had gone into panic mode and was randomly picking things off the rack, at which point she'd have to go in and hel-- 

"I'm done," a quiet voice spoke beside her as the door swung shut, and it took Yoruichi a few minutes to realize that it was Soi; she didn't seem in the slightest bit perturbed or overstressed, and more than that she had a long plastic-covered outfit slung over her shoulder. She stared for a minute longer as she tried to recover her mental equilibrium.

"Y-you're finished?"

"...Yeah," Soi answered plainly as she began to follow the path back through the shopping arcade to home. "It really wasn't too bad, actually."

"Well, here," Yoruichi said after a few moments, swallowing her pride as she reached in her purse, "...I can give you some money to make up for what you spent..."

"Oh, it's no big deal...It was on clearance, anyway." The older girl felt a bit skeptical of anything that she could have found on sale, but decided that it wasn't worth it to get in an argument right now.

"...So, can I see it?" Yoruichi made to lift the bottom of the dress's plastic cover but Soi jerked away from her before she could get a good look.

"Hm...I don't know... you're the one who thought I had 'no fashion sense,' remember?" Surprised by the teasing grin on the freshman's face, Yoruichi took a moment to follow suit, then tried in vain to grab the article of clothing from her.

"Come on, just a peek..."

"No way!" Soi replied, yanking the dress away before Yoruichi nearly succeded. "...I'm not gonna take this thing out until the dance-- if I see it before then I know I'm gonna want to take it back." Yoruichi gave a disappointed huff as she gave up, then followed her friend with the rest of thier purchases.

"All right," the upperclassman muttered in defeat. "...But I'm gonna see you in that dress one way or another."


	26. Speechless

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 26: Speechless

Soi Fong stared at her watch, both excited and nervous about what was rapidly approaching. Isane said she would be at her house to pick her up around 6:00, and while it was only 3:00 she was beginning to worry.

_How long will it take me to get ready,_ she asked herself agitatedly. _Should I get started now, or should I wait a little longer? What about dinner? Should I ea-- Oh wait, she said we'd eat at a restaurant before we got there...oh, crap, I knew this was a bad idea..._

Soi wanted to occupy her hands just to take the edge off a bit, but instead of being able to concentrate on her book she just found herself glancing back at the timepiece on her wrist. When 3:10 arrived she finally lost her patience and headed to the shower, grabbing her dress from its place on the closet doorknob as she walked.

* * *

"Hellooo!" Yoruichi called into Soi's house, poking her head inside upon finding the front door unlocked. 

"Oh! Yoruichi-chan, is that you?" The upperclassman flinched at the use of 'chan,' but since this was her friend's father she did nothing.

"...Yeah, it's me! Is it okay for Kisuke and I to come inside?"

"Jeez, Yoruichi, just go in!" Urahara implored behind her, clutching at his sides to keep the blood flow circulating due to the cold. "He's not gonna ca--OW!"

"Come on in," the older man called from the kitchen, and Yoruichi gratefully jumped inside the only slightly-warmer house, followed by her best friend as he shut the door behind them to keep the fall night from blowing in. Once they had slipped their shoes off, they came into the kitchen only to find Soi's father standing there looking slightly out of his element. "I'm glad you decided to come, actually."

"...Why?" Kisuke asked as he placed his hat on the railing for the staircase.

"Well, it's Soi-chan," he answered uneasily. "She's ready, but she won't come out-- I even told her that her friends would be here in a few minutes to pick her up and she just won't budge!" Yoruichi gave a sigh as she listened to his story, then followed him throught the kitchen and to the door of the bathroom.

"Don't you have a shower upstairs?" Yoruichi asked as she recalled the layout from the last time she'd been here.

"Well, yes," the patriarch nodded, "...But this one has hot running water. The pilot like for the one upstairs likes to turn off at random times. Soi?" he called as he rapped on the wood with his knuckles.

"...Dad?...I, uh...just wanted to tell you that...I'm not going anymore," the freshman called from the other side of the threshold.

"Soi?" Yoruichi yelled, the better to be understood through the obstruction. "What the hell are you doing in there!"

"Y-Yoruichi-san!" Soi yelped as she jumped back slightly from the door. Of all the people she didn't want to see her, Yoruichi was right at the top of the list. Why was she here?

"Come on, you're being stupid! Get out here so that you can go to the dance! You were looking forward to this, remember?" Instead of going with her gut and childishly yelling 'no,' Soi only needed to glance at herself in the mirror before recalling why she preferred now to stay home.

"...I'm not going like this-- I look ridiculous!"

"What are you talking about!" Yoruichi yelled back with a roll of the eyes. "I'm sure you look fine! And besides, if you come out then I might be able to help you with make-up!"

"I am NOT wearing make-up!" Soi bellowed from the other side of the door, and Yoruichi had to stifle a chuckle at how much Soi was kicking and screaming her way towards 'femininity.'

"...Is she always like this?" Kisuke asked Soi's father, surprised at the sudden turn in her behavior for the childish.

"Well, I can tell you that the last time I got her to wear a dress was--" he began but was cut off by the sound of a horn honking outside. "Oh! That must be them! Soi, come on!" the older man implored the freshman. "Your friends are here NOW!" Soi was quiet for a moment as she considered the situation, glancing disdainfully at herself in the mirror. It was too late now to back out. Besides, she suddenly realized with pride, why should she care what anyone else thought? She was going because she HAD wanted to, and she ultimately concluded that she didn't want to ignore something that she might look back and regret not going to.

"...All right. I'm coming out," Soi muttered as she unlocked the door.

"About time!" her father teased as he backed away from the bathroom and picked up the disposable camera he'd left on the counter. "I've been waiting to see her in this all week!"

"Hmph-- You too?" Yoruichi grinned as she stepped back as well. "...You know that she wouldn't even let me see the thing when she b--..."

"...Sorry, guys," Soi muttered as she stepped out of the bathroom, eyes flitting downward and a blush playing on her face, both a testament to her feeling of shame at this moment. Her apology was lost in her father's loud accolades of her beauty, in Kisuke's half-teasing but impressed clapping. The dress she'd bought had been made of sleek black cotton, a hoop at the collarbone connecting the front to the straps that traced her shoulders around to the fairly open back. A red sash around her waist complemented the dress, its surface covered in gold-trimmed azaleas, one of the few flowers she liked, and it made a small bow in the back before lettting the tails flutter down behind her. Her hair wasn't in its normal double-braid anymore; Soi had somehow managed to pull it up into an elegant bun held in place with the silver-rimmed hairpiece Yoruichi had bought her at the shopping arcade, which perfectly suited the alternating silver and gold bracelets on her wrists and forearms. She'd even made an effort to push her straight bangs out of her face, revealing her normally hidden eyebrows and bringing more light to reflect off her gray eyes.

"Oh, Soi-- You look beautiful!" Soi gave a light snort and a patronizing smile as she turned to hug her father goodbye.

"Yeah, right, dad--thanks anyway, though."

"I have to say-- very nice," Kisuke admitted with a wolfish grin as the freshman approached. "You could probably pass for about 18 with a a push-up b--"

"Yeah, yeah," the Chinese girl muttered as she rolled her eyes and walked past. "Well, HERE'S someone I can trust to be honest with me! Yoruichi, how bad is it?"

"H...Huh?" The upperclassman blinked, shook herself out of her trance with such force that it surprised her. She'd felt herself go blank as soon as she'd seen Soi walk out of the bathroom, felt her ability to speak leave her as she stared, unable to do anything else.

"Come on, tell me the truth," Soi said with a facetious smile, though the slight curl of her tiny lips only sent Yoruichi's equilibrium into further disarray. "...I told you I look bad in dresses."

_Oh_ God _no,_ Yoruichi wanted to say as her eyes stayed helplessly glued to her, trying to will herself to think straight as the room's other occupants began to look at her curiously. All she could get out at that moment, however, was a mere:

"Y...You look okay..." She was rewarded for her hesitance with a light smack on the arm as the younger girl blushed out of shame.

"God, you too, Yoruichi? Don't bother lying; I could tell that you had to think about that." The upperclassman had a retort half-formed on her lips but a string of honking from outside reminded them of the waiting limo.

"Oh! You better get going, Soi! Have fun!" Her father called as the freshman dashed out the door, turning quickly to wave them goodbye before she got inside the glossy black stretch limousine. Yoruichi wasn't sure if she returned the gesture from her spot on the doorstep, her eyes glued to her friend even as she hiked up the hem of her dress to aid in her jogging. She was only sure of the fact that she HAD lied to Soi before. She wasn't cute at all. She was...

"...Gorgeous..."

"Huh? Did you say something?" Soi's father asked, putting a hand on Yoruichi's shoulder and pulling her out of her trance. The upperclassman flinched, nearly screaming before managed to catch herself.

"N...Nothing..." she answered, not noticing the comprehending look on Kisuke's face as she reluctantly shut the door.

* * *

"There you are! What took you so long?" Isane asked irritably as Soi hopped into the car. 

"Sorry! I...got held up by my Dad a little," she answered with a blush. She wondered for a minute if Isane was going to tell her to leave but the junior smiled instead.

"Hey, don't worry about it! Believe me, I know how that is...Wow, is that your dress?" the silver-haired girl asked as she ran a hand through her shaggy locks. "You look great!" Soi only had to glance at Isane, elegantly attired in a red gown with a rose corsage tied around the left shoulder strap, to feel her already low confidence wane.

"...Thanks..." Soi answered as sincerely as she could before turning to the limo's other occupants. They were definitely a motley crew, the only immediately familiar faces being Rukia and Renji, sitting comfortably across from her in a contrasting white one-piece dress and black pinstriped suit, respectively.

"Hey, Fong-san, haven't seen you at the last couple meetings," the tall boy said as he scratched the side of his crimson-topped head. "...You're not neglecting the club on PURPOSE, are y--"

"Jeez, Renji, can we just enjoy this WITHOUT you bringing up Karate for five minutes?" Renji was about to retort but a steely glare from his girlfriend brought him to a rather submissive silence.

"...Hey, Isane..." an even taller boy with a dark complexion and wavy hair that concealed his eyes began, "...Who's this girl?"

"Yeah, introduce us, Isane-kun!" a girl with long red hair squealed gleefully. "She's cute!"

"Okay, okay..." the Junior said as she waved her hands in the signal for ceasefire. "Soi Fong, this is Chad..."

"'Chad?'" Soi asked with a cocked eyebrow, confused by the pronunciation.

"Well, his name's Sado, but...we all just ended up calling him that," the Junior shrugged while the boy sighed in mild frustration, leaning his massive frame against the seat so forcefully that the freshman was almost afraid the limo would tip over. "Anyway," Isane continued as she pointed to a severe-looking boy with highly reflective glasses, "Over here is Uryuu..."

"Hi," Uryuu nodded while he pushed up his glasses, promptly shutting himself off before he would be obligated to engage in conversation.

"...And over here's Orihime, and..."

"Hey, I know you!" Soi interrupted as she stared at the last guest in the luxury vehicle, who took his arm off the seat behind Orihime to lean out of his slumping position.

"Huh?" the boy mumbled, running a hand back and forth through his short hair, the bizarre vermilion color making his appearance rather difficult to ignore. "...Oh yeah, he said in a gruff voice as he looked at Soi with dawning comprehension. "...You just joined my group in Karate, didn't you?"

"That's right!" Soi said, intrigued that he seemed rather pleasant despite his punklike appearance. "...And you are...?"

"Oh, sorry," the boy apologized as he stuck his hand out in greeting, "...Ichigo Kurosaki--I'm Orihime's date."

* * *

"Hey, are you almost done using the phone in there?" Kisuke called from the hallway, tapping his foot with raising impatience. Yoruichi had asked to use the telephone almost as soon as Soi had left, and if they didn't hurry they wouldn't be able to make the movie like they'd planned. 

"Okay, sorry," Yoruichi apologized as she walked out, waving goodbye to Soi's father while slipping on her jean jacket. "We're going now."

"Finally," the blonde muttered once they had shut the door behind them and began walking to his car. "...I thought you said that we were just gonna drop in and see her off!"

"...Yeah, I know..." the girl muttered as she climbed into the sedan, buckling her seatbelt as Kisuke turned the engine over and pulled out of the driveway.

"Well, I've gotta say I'm really looking forward to this movie," he smiled as he changed the subject. "You know, my favorite actor's in th--"

"Oh! Sorry, Kisuke," Yoruichi interrupted as she pointed towards the high school, "...But we're not going to the movie tonight." He would've stopped the car and demanded to know what she was talking about if he wasn't so shocked that his body simply complied.

"...What are you talking about?"

"I talked to a couple of the teachers a few minutes ago," she answered hurriedly, though sounding slightly afraid of how he would respond. "...We're going to be chaperoning tonight."

All the teen did was sigh lamentfully as he turned left instead of right at the first intersection.


	27. Not A Child

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 27: Not A Child

"Well, we're here!" Isane called to the group as the limo pulled up to Rukongai's front door, pulling Soi out of the contented haze that dinner had placed her in just half-an-hour ago. To be honest, she had found that to easily be the best part of the evening so far, having not eaten at a nice restaurant since her birthday of the previous year. She hobbled out last, supported from falling on the hem of her dress by Uryuu's quick reflexes. She smiled gratefully and tried to thank the boy, but he only glanced away, muttering that 'it was nothing' as he pushed his slipping glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"Come on, you two!" Ichigo called from the top of the stairs, a slight hint of irritation in his voice as the freshman and sophomore caught up with them. Soi glanced around as she waited in line, Isane being in possession of all the tickets in. The school didn't seem that much different at night, but then the lights were on in this particular hall anyway. Once the silver-haired girl had gotten them all through, they walked up to the gym. In spite of herself, Soi blinked as they walked inside. This was definitely closer to what she had anticipated and more, since Rukongai was such a nice school to begin with.

The room was only reconizable due to the basketball rims that had been raised into the high ceiling; practically every inch of the walls was covered in streamers while large paper snowflakes adorned with glitter hung off strings attached to the rafters. There was pop music coming from a booth manned by a disc jockey at the far end of the room, the music apparently synchronized with the flashing multitude of colored lights set up around the perimeter; on a small table to the side sat a bowl of punch and a few dishes full of desserts and snacks, and not far from there was an open area where various people had paired off and were dancing with abandon. As Soi followed Isane's friends around the edge of the dance floor the sight of blonde hair beside her caught her eye.

"...What's wrong?" Uryuu asked, happening to notice the freshman's distracted behavior.

"Nothing," Soi answered with a shrug. "...I just thought I saw someone I knew, is all..." With that she shook the possibility off physically before following Isane's beckoning hand.

* * *

"Jeez, I TOLD you to be careful!" Yoruichi growled as she smacked Kisuke on the head from their position between the wall and one of the many snack tables. "...She almost saw you!" 

"I said I was sorry!" he shot back, equally irritated about the whole situation. "...I don't see why we have to be hiding, anyway. Aren't we supposed to be CHAPERONES?"

"We can't just stand there in the open-- If Soi sees us she'll think that we're spying on her!"

"Isn't that what we're doing?" Urahara asked with a raised eyebrow. It wasn't even like they blended in-- they'd had to stop at their respective houses to pick up the best clothes they could on such short notice, which for him meant nice jeans and a longsleeve striped button-down and for Yoruichi amounted to a black miniskirt and jacket with a ribbed v-neck shirt beneath. "We're a little underdressed, and it's not like you're not gonna go unnoticed anyway..."

"Just relax, Kisuke...As long as we don't draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves we'll be fine. Now come on, if we scoot over a little we should be able to see her just fine--"

"Yoruichi," Urahara asked with a sudden degree of seriousness in his voice, "...What are you doing this for?" The dark girl blinked in confusion, as if the answer should have been plain.

"Because if we don't, something might happen to her! Did you not SEE her? I mean, there's lots of people who might hit on her in a situation like this and if she--"

"...No--I mean, why are you REALLY doing this?"

"...Well..." Yoruichi started to retort, but somehow it got lost in her throat. She couldn't explain it, what was going through her head right now, but...it had just never occured to her how beautiful Soi was until she'd seen her in that dress. She had always been CUTE, just not quite like this-- not so much that it had nearly taken her breath away. "...Come on, let's just keep moving," she finally said, standing up and moving to the next table as quickly as she could, grateful that the low lights and the swarm of people kept her and Kisuke fairly well hidden.

* * *

Soi glanced around, feeling awkward as she sat at one of the small tables, sipping a cupfull of punch occasionally to occupy her hands. She was starting to think that maybe she had the right idea before-- she didn't have any friends here besides Isane who was off dancing with Chad, and without a date she was stuck in the lowly category of 'wallflower.' She'd tried dancing to some of the up-tempo stuff, but when three songs had passed of her waving her arms and bobbing in time with the music she just felt foolish, and was now watching the dance pass her by from the safety of the seats. After a few songs she sighed and glanced at her watch. 

_Maybe I should just go home... This whole idea was stupid..._

"Hey, uh...do you wanna dance?" Soi blinked at the sudden intrusion of her thoughts and looked up to see the bespectacled boy from the limousine shifting his weight nervously, the tails of his white tuxedo moving in time with him.

"Oh, well..." the freshman muttered as she bit her lip, "...You're kinda not my type, Ishida-san..."

"Huh? N-no, I didn't mean it like that," the boy answered even as he struggled to hide his slight blush, "...I just saw you over here alone, and...I thought that..."

"What, that I can't get a date? Are you looking for a 'pity dance' or something?" Soi knew that she was overreacting but the fact of the matter was that he'd caught her at the worst possible time, when she was feeling even more insecure than before. Uryuu flinched at the sudden fire that had seeped into the girl's voice, but stood his ground.

"...Listen...It's not like that," he answered while pushing up his perpetually slipping glasses. "See, I'm kinda in the same boat as you, and...I know how it feels when you come to one of these things alone." To his relief, Soi's cold eyes softened a little, replaced with a hint of guilt. Seeing an opportunity, he pressed forward and extended his hand again, the embodiment of a perfect gentleman. "...So...as friends... would you like to dance?"

Soi glanced at the upturned palm before her, feeling a little apprehensive. He hadn't really given her any good excuse to turn him down, and wasn't as if she wanted to waste all the money she'd spent on this without at least one waltz under her belt. Besides, hadn't Yoruichi...kind of expected her to dance with a boy? It wasn't like she expected her to notice the way she felt, but still...maybe there was a chance that she could still be deluding herself, that what she experienced with Yoruichi was just an illlusion.

"...Okay," Soi said with a friendly grin as she followed him out to where the music had shifted and the amorphous blob of bodies had split off into slow-dancing pairs.

* * *

"...Who the hell is THAT?" 

"Huh? Gyu sha shomthng?" Kisuke asked at the sudden question posed by Yoruichi, leaning out from under their third table as he swallowed a handful of barbeque chips at once. Yoruichi had half a mind to tell him to not talk with food in his mouth but decided that what she was seeing now was more important.

"...That kid who's talking to Soi! Do you know him?"

"Hmm... don't know. He's not from any classes I'm in, so he's probably an underclassman... Oh will you look at that..." he finished with a grin as he watched the bespectacled teen lead Soi over to the packed dance floor. "...Looks like she did get a da-- Yoruichi? Is something wrong?"

"...What gave you THAT idea?!" the upperclassman growled at Kisuke with unintentional venom. When he looked too afraid to continue his comment Yoruichi turned back to the sight of Soi and Uryuu dancing, even though it was only putting her in a worse mood.

* * *

Soi smiled at the boy as they swayed back and forth on in time with the music, even though she knew it was an artificial display of enjoyment. It wasn't that he didn't seem nice, it was just...more that it didn't feel RIGHT. 

"Hey, something up?"

"N-no," Soi answered jovially, even though she just kept wishing that it was Yoruichi and not Uryuu that had a hand on her w...!

"Oh! I-I'm sorry!" Uryuu gasped as he pulled his palm back up from her rear. "I just kinda lost my balance there, a--"

"No, it's alright," the freshman said with as much good humor as she could muster. It may have been an accident, but it still had felt so odd when he'd touched her. There was no breathlessness, no passion flowing through her like it had when she'd danced with Yoruichi, just a lingering feeling that she'd been violated, like someone had dropped an ice cube down the back of her dress. "It's okay, let's just keep going..."

* * *

"Okay, that's IT!" Yoruichi snarled as she pulled herself up with blinding speed and began walking straight for her friend. She couldn't believe that he had just done THAT to Soi, and she was getting ready to break them apart when Kisuke locked her in a full nelson and dragged her to the nearest exit, Yoruichi kicking and struggling while a few couples standing to the side stared in silent bewilderment.

* * *

"Let...me...GO, Kisuke! Goddamnit--!" When he had managed to pull her to the deserted hallway just beyond the gym Urahara complied, releasing Yoruichi once he was sure that she wouldn't go running back inside. 

"What happened to 'letting her have a good time?' I thought that was the whole reason you were encouraging her to come to this thing, Yoruichi!"

"She wasn't having a good time, she was being molested!" Yoruichi protested angrily as she tried to peek through a window in hope of vainly making sure Uryuu hadn't done anything more to Soi.

"Don't you think that maybe you're overreacting a little bit? I mean, it was pretty obvious that guy wasn't the type to do anything to a girl, and especially not Soi Fong--"

"I don't care! She's MY Soi and I'm not going to just let someone think that it's okay for them to feel her up!"

"...What does you mean, 'your Soi?'" Yoruichi opened her mouth to continue her tirade when what she'd said suddenly hit her.

_Did I...really just...?_ What was wrong with her? She knew that she was being childish...but even so, just seeing someone TOUCH Soi like that...

_I'm just angry because we're friends,_ she assured herself. She just wanted the best for Soi, that had to be it. But that spark that had flared up within her when she'd seen Soi tonight... that wanting... No, it had to have been surprise getting the best of her. It was a sisterly affection she felt for Soi, nothing else. It _couldn't_ be anything else...

"Look," Kisuke said after a moment, bringing his friend back to her senses, "...You seem like you're upset-- you should just go home and get some rest. Don't worry, I'll watch out for her, if that's what you want," the teen promised with an easy smile as Yoruichi prepared to speak. The fact of the matter was that Yoruichi was tired. All this stuff running through her head...she needed time to just put it aside, to breathe and collect herself.

"...You'd better," she said simply as she extricated himself from his grip and headed lazily for the door.

"Do you need a ride?"

"My house is just up the street, Kisuke," Yoruichi answered wryly, a sliver of her good humor making itself evident. "...I'll be fine. Besides, the walk'll do me good."

Soi blinked, stared at the spot where she'd caught a flash of movement.  
Was that...Yoruichi? No, she decided with a bit of disappointment, it couldn't have been. Besides, she said these dances were stupid...

"Um, listen..." Soi began as she pushed away from Uryuu gently, "...I don't feel like doing this anymore..." _Not when I'm hallucinating HER, anyway._

"Oh...Uh, okay. Well, I guess I'll see you later then..." Soi nodded as Uryuu headed off to try and find another partner, then walked over to the punch bowl and took a drink from one of the many waiting cups. She was tired of this, of trying to deny what she really felt. After she downed the plastic cup's contents she tossed it in the nearby trashcan and, considering that the limo wouldn't be back to pick them up for a good three hours simply headed for the door and left.

* * *

The man sighed as he hid in the bushes, nearly nodding off for the fifth time as his cohorts idly passed cards back and forth between themselves. 

_I don't get it,_ he thought angrily as he shivered in the chill weather. _He just said said she should be coming this way._ He knew better than to question his employer, especially if he had risked calling to assure them their target would show up.

"Hey, boss..." a teen with a narrow face said while he pointed just beyond their cover. Deciding that it was worth the risk, the other two peeked out from the top of the shrubbery to find a short girl in a black dress with a red sash walking along the sidewalk, holding up the hem of her dress awkwardly.

"Is that her?" the pudgiest of the trio asked in a grunt while the leader pulled out the photo he'd been given.

"No question," the oldest responded as he brushed his blonde-streaked wave of hair out of his face. "...Let's get to it."

* * *

"Excuse me, Miss...do you have the time?" 

"Huh?" Soi muttered as she turned to find a boy in a jean jacket and leather pants walking along behind her, apparently having shown up out of nowhere. "Oh...about 9:32," she answered before curtly turning her attention back to the street she was walking down. His sudden appearance bothered her, but she dismissed her paranoia and kept walking...at least until she kept hearing the sound of feet moving behind her. As nonchalantly as she could, she started to move faster, only to hear the man behind her speed up. Not even bothering to worry about her dress anymore she dropped the hem and broke into a run, which was surprisingly fast considering her feet were trapped in heels. Before she could make much headway she ran straight into a pair of men, all similarly dressed and not much older than herself. She tried to pull away but the overweight one closed a strong hand around her arm, squeezing so tightly Soi couldn't feel the blood flowing to the appendage anymore. She pushed at him as hard as she could, but then she felt a thick arm around her neck, forcing the air ever so slowly out of her lungs.

"...I hope you don't have a phone, little lady...If anyone comes for you you're dead, understand?" Soi only glared daggers at the man in front of her who had spoken, wanting to spit in his face but barely able to gather the breath required for even basic brain functions.

"So...he said _anything,_ right?" the tall one who was busy choking Soi asked with a smile that made his meaning clear.

"Yeah," the faux-blonde said coldly as he glanced at their prisoner. "...But just look at this flat bitch. It wouldn't be any fun at all unless she's got a rack on her..." Soi's eyes widened as she felt a rough hand fondling her chest. This was nothing like Uryuu's touch, which had been an inconvenience more than anything-- this felt like she was being tortured; combined with the wooziness she felt from the arm around her neck she thought she might be violently sick right then and there. She angrily kicked her leg out, landing the square of her right heel against the nearest shin in an effort to keep them as far away from her body as possible.

"Well, Boss...looks like this one's gonna be more trouble than we thought." Soi instantly felt a ring-covered fist smash into the side of her face, sending blood into the darkness surrounding them, onto some point on the dark asphault of the street as he hit harder, Soi doing everything she could to remain silent. She kicked out again, this time with more violence and behind her, making her strangler lose his grip and give her an opportunity to get away. But before her oxygen-deprived body could move more than an inch she felt a hand grab at her neck, pull her back before something snapped around it, teasing her with freedom again before she tripped on her heels and ended up with her face to the ground. She coughed up a spatter of the blood still in her mouth before feeling a boot stomp on her back, nearly making her cry out as it ground deeper into her spine.

"Well, we were just gonna rob you, you bitch," one of Soi's assailants hissed above her, "...but I guess you like it the hard way after all..." She felt a strange, horrific sort of understanding as the sound of a zipper coming undone sounded behind her, a hand tear her dress from the hem to where it met the small of her back, exposing her body to the cold and a hand moving up and down her thigh. For a moment Soi was paralyzed, unable to believe that this was happening, that she was helpless, when the truth finally dawned on her.

_No._

_Not like this._

_Not EVER like this!_

In an instant the half-year's worth of Karate she'd been taking came rushing back to her and with the speed and strength only adrenaline could provide, she sent her elbow flying behind her back. Soi repeated the action when she felt it collide with skin and underlying bone until she heard something crack and an ear-piercing howl of pain. Rolling to get the deadweight off her back she quickly got to her feet, she blocked another blow to her face and used the inertia of the punch to send the second to the pavement straight on his back. She didn't even notice the headlights coming their way as the oldest of the group stared at Soi, cowering at the fury illuminated in her dark eyes.

"Y-you crazy bitch!" the faux-blonde hollered before heading off in the opposite direction, running so fast that even Soi couldn't have caught up with him if she'd wanted to. She knew there was a car beside her as she turned around, executing a brutal roundhouse kick only to have it blocked by a broad hand.

"Whoa-- Soi Fong, it's me! Are you all right?" Soi's guard lowered slightly, reassured by the familiar silouhette bordered by blinding car headlights.

"...Urahara-san!"


	28. Reciprocity

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 28: Reciprocity

Neither Soi or Kisuke said anything as he drove. That suited her just fine, since she was too occupied with recovering from the shock of what had just happened to her. The evidence of her assault was fairly clear-- the two halves of the bottom of her dress pooled around her on the cloth carseat, and along with the bruises on her face and the specks of blood on her cut lip there was a purple ring where one of her assailants had grabbed her just below the shoulder. And while there was no mark from being nearly strangled to death, Soi rubbed her throat anyway, still feeling like she couldn't breathe. After a few minutes they pulled up to the front door of her house, and still maintaining the silence between them unlocked the door and walked inside.

"Oh, is that you, Soi?" the girl's father called jovially as he walked into the entryway. "...I thought you would be home later tha--" his greeting disappeared into a horrified silence as his eyes met his little girl's disheveled appearance, and though it normally took him a few seconds to cross from the kitchen to the front door he had his arms around Soi in the blink of an eye. "Soi! Oh my God, what happened to you?!"

"...She was walking home and she got attacked. I don't know all the details, though," Urahara said simply, before the girl had a chance to even open her mouth.

"Oh, dear God...look at your face! How bad is it?"

"Dad, I'm fine..." Soi answered stoically as she tried to slip out of her father's bearhug but the older man refused to let go.

"Did they touch you? It's okay if you want to tell me, we can call the police and they'll find them..."

"...I'm okay..."

"Look, I let me get an icepack for your eye and then you can tell me what happened--"

"DAD, I'M FINE!" Soi's father froze, blinked at the sudden elevation of the quiet freshman's voice, and after a moment Soi visibly relaxed. "...I...I'm sorry...I just..."

"It's okay," Urahara said as he placed a hand on Soi's shoulder and pulled out the cellphone he kept in his back jeans pocket. "...I already called the police and told them to come here; I'm gonna let Yoruichi know what's going on real quick, all right?"

"...Yeah..."

* * *

"...And how many of them were there?" 

"T-three," Soi answered calmly, even though the presence of a handful of policeman was making her feel rather intimidated all over again. The officer seemed nice enough, but he spoke so gruffly and with such an air of boredom that she had to wonder if they actually cared enough to do anything.

"You said before that you were walking down 25th, correct? Why were you alone at night?"

"I...I didn't think anything like this would happen," the girl said with just a bit of an edge to her voice: it seemed like they were trying to make HER look responsible for this. "...I was just leaving the dance at Rukongai and after a while this tall one with a crew cut came up behind me and asked what time it was--" She was interrupted as the front door swung open and every face in the room turned to see Yoruichi standing there, cheeks red from the cold but sweat running down her face regardless. It would have taken nearly an hour to get here from Yoruichi's house, but the fact that barely twenty minutes had passed since Kisuke had called meant that she had run the whole way here.

"Excuse me, Miss," the officer who'd been questioning Soi said in an authoritative tone, "...You can't just barge in here like th--"

"It's all right," Kisuke said as he stepped forward. "She's a friend." Yoruichi was still silent, staring at Soi as if assessing the damage for herself. The policeman nodded, even though he occasionally cast the new arrival suspicious glances every once in a while-- as if he'd seen her somewhere else but couldn't think of the time and place.

"Well, anyway," the officer said after a few more questions, running over the list of details Soi had given and the three composite sketches his partner had made, "...We'll be on the lookout for the one who ran off. We saw the other two lying in the street on our way here and there's a car taking them to the station right now."

"Thank you very much," the patriarch of the Fong home said sincerely, but they merely tipped their caps and headed out, casting another confused look of recollection at Yoruichi as the door shut behind them.

"...Don't worry," Kisuke said once the flashing of police lights had backed away from the house and had retreated into the darkness. "...I'm sure they'll be able to find the g--" Before he could finish Yoruichi crossed the room and without the slightest bit of hesitation punched Kisuke straight in the face. Soi and her father both recoiled in surprise at the sudden display of violence from Yoruichi, and while the punch had certainly made him stagger Kisuke eventually succeeded in regaining his equilibrium.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!?!" Yoruichi snarled as she grabbed the lapels of her friend's shirt. "YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULDN'T LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO HER!"

"Y-Yoruichi, listen-- it wasn't my fault she decided to go home when she did! I just walked in there and she was gone!"

"YOU THINK THAT'S AN EXCU-- OH, GODDAMNIT, I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE STAYED! TO THINK I TRUSTED HER SAFETY TO Y--"

"Yoruichi-san...really...I'm fine," Soi interrupted calmly, and to Kisuke's surprise his friend loosed the death grip she had on his shirt. "...I should have just waited for the limo to come back. It's my fault." At these words Yoruichi looked at the freshman, her topaz eyes taking in the bruises and the tattered state of her attire. Without thinking about it she slowly placed her hands on Soi's shoulders, squeezing them gently but at the same time, tight enough to suggest that she was afraid to let go.

"...Don't say that. Don't EVER say that. NO ONE has the right to do what they did to you. Do you understand me?" In spite of the situation Soi felt her insides flutter from both the contact and the subdued intensity of the older girl's gaze on her. It was so strange to see Yoruichi like this... like she was scared out of her mind with worry. Soi nodded and Yoruichi finally let go, leaving the indent of her fingernails in the skin as she backed away. An uncomfortable silence fell for a moment that was punctuated by the clamorous ringing of the phone in the kitchen. None of them had any intention of leaving Soi, but after a few rings her father acquiesced and headed to the kitchen.

"Soi, it's Isane-chan," he called after a moment. "She said she was worried when she noticed you left the dance, and she wanted to make sure you got home okay..."

"Can you tell her, Dad?" Soi asked stoically as she walked up the stairs. "...I'm going to change."

"But Soi--"

"...Please Dad," Soi said as evenly as she could. "...I don't feel like talking about it anymore. I'm just tired...okay?" When she heard him talking into the phone she continued trudging up the stairs, throwing herself on the bed when she reached her drafty room. She sighed after a moment, as if letting out a breath she'd been holding for the last hour. To be honest, she really did feel exhausted, but at the same time she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep for hours. She HAD been able to protect herself, but just the thought of how those men had touched her... she couldn't move, didn't want to; she just lay against the pillow in her torn dress and prayed for sleep to be merciful and overtake her.

"Hey...mind if I come in?" Yoruichi's voice inquired from the other side of the door while she rapped the wood lightly with her knuckles. Soi half wanted to be left alone right now, but knowing Yoruichi she would probably just wait outside for her to eventually come out.

"...Sure." With a creak Yoruichi pushed the door ajar, walking quietly over to the bed and, saying nothing, sat on the edge beside where her friend's face was resting. For a moment they were quiet, Yoruichi reluctant to speak and Soi too tired to think of anything to say. She had nearly nodded off when she felt Yoruichi's hand running through her hair. Normally she would have gone into panic mode from this sort of contact from her crush, but somehow it made her feel calm instead-- at peace.

"...Soi..." Yoruichi finally whispered, continuing her gentle show of affection especially since it was aiding her own jangled nerves, "...did they..." Soi wondered for a moment what Yoruichi was asking before comprehension hit her and she gave the simple answer.

"...No. I managed to get them off before... before it happened." Yoruichi gave a small chuckle as she began to make slower, more delicate explorations of Soi's thick short hair with the palm of her hand.

"Well... thank God you decided to come to Karate after all." To her satisfaction Soi gave a quiet laugh at the joke, and Yoruichi had to pull her eyes away from that delicate smile to hide the softness creeping into her features. Even now, with an ugly purple lump on her small face, Soi still captivated her, as if telling Yoruichi that Soi's beauty had nothing to do with the way she had happened to look tonight.

"So...You followed me to the dance?" Yoruichi was about to ask what her friend was talking about when she suddenly remembered her slip downstairs.

"...Look, Soi-- I'm sorry, I was just--"

"Thanks, Yoruichi-san." The upperclassman was about to go into a lengthy apology when the last words she expected to hear right now came out of Soi's mouth. What Soi couldn't say was how glad it made her to know that Yoruichi would have come to something she abhorred for HER sake. "I just wish... I wish I hadn't lost it."

"Huh? Lost what?"

"...Mom's necklace," Soi whispered remorsefully as she shifted over (not enough that Yoruichi's hand had to leave her head) to reveal bare skin where the jewelry had been before. "One of them grabbed me when I tried to get away, and then..."

"...Who cares about that?" Yoruichi said seriously even though she knew how precious the stone was to Soi. "The important thing is that you're safe. I'm sure that's what your Mom would rather have anyway."

_I know it's what I'D rather have,_ she thought idly as she scooted closer to Soi. The freshman eventually nodded, resting her head back on the mattress and finally slipping into a much more peaceful slumber than she would have expected. Yoruichi knew that Soi hadn't suffered irreperable pain, but seeing her friend like that didn't fail to light a violent fire within her. It didn't matter if the police were searching for the guy who'd run; he would probably leave town, maybe the whole prefecture before he could be caught up with. Yoruichi didn't care what had to be done, how far she needed to go. No one had the right to treat Soi like that, to even lay a finger on her.

She wanted to find whoever was responsible for doing this and make them pay for it.

* * *

By Monday the swelling on Soi's face had receded, mainly due to a diet of painkillers and icepacks that her father had prescribed. She didn't have to worry about the bruise on her arm since the uniform covered that up, and Yoruichi had found some make-up that matched her skin enough to serve as camouflage for the marks on her face. Even so, when she walked through the doors of the school she was surprised to find that nothing was known in detail about the attack. They had heard vague reports from the news but since Soi and her father had requested that the police not give out any information about them the victim had remained anonymous. 

"...Think I should keep an eye on her?" Kisuke asked as he and Yoruichi watched Soi wave them goodbye in the hallway. "I mean, odds are someone here knows about whoever attacked her..."

"You think I haven't already tried that?" Yoruichi asked with a light scoff, turning to climb the nearby stairs. "...She said she didn't wanna be 'shadowed' again today."

"Hmph. I swear," the blonde said while he grinned for the first time in a few days. "That girl's somethin' else, for a kid."

"Yeah," Yoruichi said quietly. "...She really is."

* * *

"...Well, I guess that's the end of class," Aizen said with a bit of surprise as the bell rang, staring remorsefully at the blackboard full of practice equations and still not anywhere near finished on his explanation of the process. "I suppose I'll have to cut the homework for tonight a little short. I know you're disappointed--" he grinned as the class raised a cheer, then motioned for them to remain in their seats for a moment longer, "...But if you just remember to do 11-43 on pages 211-213 that'll be enough until tomorrow, okay? Dismissed." As if they were sitting on springs the class instantly got up, talking amongst themselves while they headed to lockers to retrieve books in preparation for the next class or else to find friends for lunch. 

"Man, THAT'S gonna be a load off," Kuukaku said with relief as they filed out slowly. "...I'm already swamped for tonight from my MORNING classes, for God's sake."

"Yeah, but it's not like you're gonna do it anyway..." Yoruichi smirked at her friend.

"Hey, that's an unfair assumption--"

"Oh, Miss Shihouin," Aizen interrupted the girls as they passed his desk, "...I'd like to see you for a moment, if you don't mind." Yoruichi and Kuukaku gave each other confused looks before the former stepped out of line and told Kuukaku she'd see her in the cafeteria. Once the class stepped out and Aizen had gone about the task of assembling the papers he'd collected from them she spoke up.

"So...What did you want, Aiz-...Aizen-sensei?" she finished grudgingly.

"Oh, not much...a student turned in one of your books earlier today and I wanted to get it back to you. Here, let me get it out of the closet..." Aizen turned around to the small room behind him full of extra textbooks and boxes of chalk, digging through it as if he'd forgotten where he'd placed the thing. Yoruichi sighed, lamenting the impending absence of decent sandwiches and eager to see if Soi was doing all right when the half-folded paper on the math teacher's desk caught her eye. It was in the middle of the Local News section, a minor story due to scant details and few pictures but there it was; a brief story about the punks who'd attacked Soi over the weekend. She casually brought the paper towards her, twisting it rightside up to get a better look at the photos of the two who'd been caught. They were pretty much as Soi had described, but below them, wedged between a column of text, sat another picture; a sketch of what the caption stated was a tattoo the two of them had in common, and vaguely suggesting that they were part of a small-time gang. Slowly, Yoruichi's eyes widened, recognition hitting her as she stared at that simple design, at the only other person she'd seen with that tattoo...

"Here it is! You're taking Japanese history, correct?" He held the textbook out with her name printed along the side, but Yoruichi said nothing. "...Miss Shihouin, is something-- oh... you're reading about that attack?"

"Y-yeah..." Yoruichi muttered as she took her lost History book back, not even aware of the weight now straining against her unprepared arm.

"Terrible, isn't it? And they say it was someone at OUR school who did it, too...though they don't look like they'd be smart enough to pull something like that off on their own..."

"...No...they don't...L-listen," Yoruichi managed, the energy drained from her eyes as she reflexively hitched the book up under her arm. "Thank you, Aizen-sensei, but...I really need to be going..."

"Oh, yes! I'm sorry about that-- your friends are probably waiting for you, aren't they? Well, go on, I won't hold you back any longer..." He shooed Yoruichi out with a wave and a friendly smile, which melted into a more malevolent glare once she turned the corner. The newspaper had done the hard part for him, and now all he needed was for Yoruichi to dig her own grave.

* * *

Yoruichi's fist clenched and unclenched as she felt her feet carry her to the cafeteria; she felt a bit like she'd been possessed, as if her body was acting without her brain's commands. She couldn't believe it could possibly be so simple, that he would have even tried to pull something like this off, and to SOI, who she'd explicitly warned him to stay away from. But if it was to be someone, why wouldn't it have been him? Why couldn't she have known better than to even give him the benefit of the doubt? But she had to be sure. If she saw him...she had to be certain that she had seen that mark on him before she did anything. 

"Hey, Yoruichi!" Kisuke called, putting down his bowl of ramen while Soi followed suit with her homemade salad. The freshman opened her mouth to greet her paramour but was halted when she saw the coldness with which Yoruichi greeted them, sitting down with a plop. The two prior occupants of the table glanced at Yoruichi curiously, at the pensive look on her face, and while Urahara was more than prepared to let this sleeping dog lie Soi glanced at her with concern.

"...Yoruichi-san...Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" the older girl blinked, forcing herself to relax as she tried to keep her friend reassured. "...No, I was just thinking about my homework, is all..." She grabbed one of the napkins sitting in the table's center and began to occupy her hands with it, folding it absentmindedly and feeling far too queasy to even consider eating at this point. They were silent for a while, sensing Yoruichi's unease, until the upperclassman noticed a flash of short gray hair walk into the nearby boy's bathroom.

_He'll be alone,_ she thought to herself. _But..._ she nearly stopped herself before she glanced at Soi, at the slight blotch of purple still visible beneath layers of make-up, before logic abandoned her entirely. He didn't deserve even the slightest bit of mercy from her. None.

"...Excuse me," Yoruichi said hurriedly as she got up. "...Little girl's room, you know..." Soi glanced at her friend for a moment while Kisuke nodded, then turned back to her meal just as she walked through the door beside her stated destination.

* * *

Gin sighed as he washed his hands off, letting the warm water run over his knuckles and converge again when it hit the sink basin. He pulled the handle of the paper towel dispenser a few times absentmindedly before he noticed it, a pair of dark legs peeking out from beneath a pitch-black knee-length skirt. 

"Hey, girly, this's th' guy's room. Can't ya r--"

"I told you to leave her ALONE, Ichimaru."

At that, Gin looked over to actually see who was there; Yoruichi was only a few feet away from him, one of her palms coiled into a fist and her goldenrod eyes illuminated with fury. He flinched slightly at the degree of anger he felt emanating from her, but uncertain as to why he merely gave her a disinterested grin.

"What're ya talkin about, Shihouin?" Without another word Yoruichi stomped over to him and grabbed the sleeve of his right arm, pushing it back to his elbow. There it sat: the tattoo of an elongated diamond with the Japanese character for '3' within its borders. That was also the last intelligible thing she registered before she placed her other hand on his wrist and broke it brutal efficiency. Gin's eyes widened, he threatened to scream out but Yoruichi smashed her fist into his face, breaking his nose with even less effort.

"...You worthless fucking bastard..." Yoruichi whispered, though it bore as much power and loathing as if she'd screamed it. Gin looked up, hoping that there was some semblance of reason in Yoruichi's unprovoked actions but she seemed well beyond the reaches of human compassion at this point. In fact, she almost looked like she was enjoying this; there wasn't even the slightest hint of a smile on her face but her eyes gave her satisfaction away.

"What the...hell're you doin?!" Gin growled, not willing to show weakness even though he knew full well what she was capable of. "I don' know nothin' abou--" He was silenced by his own scream as Yoruichi, who'd by now grasped his other hand, snapped his index finger with her thumb. Then another, and immediately afterward his pinky finger was hanging limply on his hand.

"I don't care if you admit it to me or not," she whispered in a voice like ice, sending a chill down her prey's spine as she clutched his face and slammed it into the side of one of the sinks, leaving the stain of blood from his broken nose there and sending another spray of the stuff onto the immaculate tile floor. "...I don't even care if I get caught. But I will NEVER let ANYONE touch a hair on her head again."

* * *

"Oh, there you were!" Urahara grinned as Kuukaku waved them a greeting, then sat down with her lunch. "We were starting to think you'd gotten lost." 

"Ha, ha," the snarky girl answered with just as much sarcasm. "Just let me eat in peace...Hey, where's Yoruichi?"

"...She went to the bathroom," Soi answered, setting her fork down in the remainders of spinach and carrots.

"Are you sure? I was just there-- didn't see her at all." At this information Urahara blinked, certain he'd seen her go in one of the doors but shrugged his shoulders regardless.

"Oh well. I'm sure she'll come back in a few min--"

"Hey everyone! There's a fight in the boy's bathroom!" As fast as everyone in the cafeteria headed for the washroom as the anonymous boy ran out, Kisuke and Kuukaku were still the first to reach the threshold, with a bewildered Soi Fong bringing up the rear.

"Hey! Guys, do you know someth..." Soi yelled while forcing her way through the crowd and through the narrow opening, but her voice disappeared once her eyes met with the bathroom. Blood was smeared across the floors before the sinks, like some macabre take on an abstract painting, and Yoruichi herself was there, kneeling over someone she eventually realized was Ichimaru, his face unrecognizible due to being covered in red and Yoruichi's continual efforts to smash his face into the tile. While all she could do was stand there, horrified by what her sempai was doing, Kisuke ran forward, clutching at her waist and pulling her back.

"Yoruichi, stop it! You'll kill him!" Within moments she knocked him off her like he was a child three times smaller as opposed to a man twice her weight, and began beating Gin anew as if that very ends was what she had intended. She seemed utterly beyond reason now, like a demon unrestrained, and before he could make a concerted attempt to pull her off with Kuukaku the sound of knuckles colliding with bone suddenly stopped.

Yoruichi blinked to find Soi leaning against her, holding her arm back in midswing with all her might. She turned her angry eyes at Soi, as if trying to tell her through them why she was doing this, that she needed to punish him further. She could only stare at Soi's eyes, gentle and pleading as she leaned against her, for a moment before her fist relaxed and she let it fall to her side. She gasped for breath as she got up, her blind rage subsided to the point where she didn't even feel compelled to kick the cringing boy as Soi guided her away from the bloodied room.

"Excuse me! What's the meaning of th-- Miss Shihouin!" Soi blinked to find a teacher standing at the edge of the crowd, a man who briefly reminded her of Uryuu except that he had platinum hair instead of jet black. "...Come with me," he said as he reached for her and the mass of students instantly split, as if afraid that the young woman covered in Ichimaru's blood would turn on them and do the same. He pulled her with such force that Yoruichi was extricated from Soi's grip, and was halfway across the empty dining area when he turned around, logic replacing his hasteful shock. "...Someone take that boy to Unohana-san. And you two--" he indicated Soi and Kisuke with a slight wave of his hand, "...follow me. We'll need you for witnesses when we talk to the Principal."

"Urahara-san..." Soi whispered as they walked away from the shocked people, Kuukaku having taken it upon herself to retrieve Gin, "...What's going to happen to Yoruichi-san? I've never seen her like that before..."

"I have," Kisuke answered simply, staring at his friend as she followed Ishida-sensei into the north end of the building. "...But it's been a long time since she did something like this."

Soi tried to ask what he meant by that, but before she could get the words out the blonde increased his pace, forcing her to do all that she could to keep up with him.


	29. A Matter of Identity

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 29: A Matter of Identity

Soi sat on the bench opposite Yoruichi with Kisuke, and even though the older girl's eyes were staring blankly into space the freshman glanced up from the floor occasionally since the whole situation was making her paranoid. It certainly didn't help that the receptionist had been told by Ishida-sensei to keep a careful eye on Yoruichi, and as such Nemu was watching the Shihouin girl like a panther prepared to pounce at the slightest sign of trouble. Yoruichi offered none, and Nemu turned her attention to a tall woman with wavy brown hair, muttering a polite, if forced, "The Principal is waiting for you, Kurosaki-sensei" as the teacher walked past and into the waiting office.

The freshman felt her dread escalate to an even greater height than before. Since they'd been waiting, at least four teachers had come in, including a friendly looking man with short brown hair and thick glasses. She knew they had to be here because of Yoruichi, but just how many did they need? How badly was she going to be punished? She turned to look at her friend again, Yoruichi's cold gaze this time fixed to a landscape painting hung on the far wall. She hadn't even made an attempt to clean the blood out of her uniform or off her hands, though she hadn't been given much opportunity to do so. Soi opened her mouth slightly, but whether it was to say something reassuring or not she didn't know. Yoruichi hadn't even glanced at Soi since she had stopped her, and even though the freshman hated herself for thinking it she was half-afraid that the upperclassmans' violent temprament might find a target in her.

"Come inside, please," a man even darker than Yoruichi said as he stepped out of the Principal's office, his tidy dreadlocks held to the back of his head with a ponytail band. "...All of you," he added while gesturing to Urahara and Soi. As one they all stood up, and when she came into close contact with Yoruichi, Soi tried to speak again but this time Kisuke beat her to it, placing a friendly hand on Yoruichi's shoulder and muttering quickly.

"...It'll be all right. Don't worry, okay?" To Soi's hidden frustration, Yoruichi's eyes seemed to soften slightly even though she still hadn't spoken while the youngest of the three held the door open.

Principal Yamamoto was sitting in his desk, and forming a semicircle around the periphery of the hardwood table were seven teachers. The one who'd brought them in stood beside the woman the secretary had called "Kurosaki," and then a tall, stocky man whose wild eyebrows and unkempt whiskers reminded her slightly of a fox. The Principal seperated this rather tall man from a much younger one, bearing a striking resemblance to Ichigo but instead of vermilion hair his was dark and the back of it hung near his shoulders; next was the man with the thick glasses and beside him was Ishida-sensei followed by Unohana, whose normally cheerful disposition seemed to have vanished in wake of the recent occurence. The three teenagers stood in a row before the head of Rukongai, Yoruichi in the middle with her disheveled appearance only making her grievance harder to deny. After a moment Yamamoto spoke, his already authoritative voice even more severe.

"Miss Shihouin... I'd like to begin by informing you that Unohana-san has just had to send Gin Ichimaru to the hospital." At this Soi nearly gasped but stopped herself, not wanting any attention to be paid to her while in the presence of an administrator; Yoruichi's eyes lowered slightly but she remained silent.

"...His right wrist, four fingers on his left hand, nose, and two ribs were broken, not to mention that he nearly had a concussion from severe blunt force," Unohana followed up seriously. "The paramedics said that he'll be all right, but that he's going to remain there to be fitted for casts and placed under observation for a few days." Yamamoto nodded, then turned to Yoruichi.

"Now then, (he glanced at a sheet of paper he had before him, then began reading)...You initiated an unprovoked attack against a fellow student in the men's bathroom of the cafeteria, using excessive force until you were restrained by two of your classmates (he indicated Soi and Kisuke with a nod), and was then brought here by Ryuuken Ishida. Does all that seem correct to you?"

Silence. Accepting Yoruichi's failure to respond as a validation, Yamamoto leaned forward.

"...Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Still, Yoruichi said nothing, and as such Soi nearly tugged on her friend's shirt in a fruitless effort to coerce her into doing something. She was as desperate to know what had driven Yoruichi to this as the teachers, but the older girl only continued to ignore her.

"Principal," the gruff giant beside Yamamoto said a rumbling tone, "...If it's any help, Miss Shihouin has never done something like this since she's been in my class."

"I have to agree with Komamura-san," Kurosaki added, taking a step closer to the desk. "...I've never had a problem, and I haven't seen any other teacher have trouble with her. Aside from her average grades, I'd say she's a model student."

"That may be so," Yamamoto admitted, "...but the fact remains that a student might have been injured far more severely than he had been if she'd been allowed to continue. I've already spoken to his parents and they're threatening to press charges against both Miss Shihouin AND this school unless action is taken."

"But sir," the Ichigo look-alike implored, "...her permanent record is practically flawless, and considering the amount of referrals Ichimaru-san has recieved, I can't believe that this could really just be an unprovoked occurence!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Shiba-sensei." Finally Yoruichi moved, her eyes narrowing at Aizen as he stepped forward, a simple action that nonetheless sent a distinct wave of unease through the freshman. Urahara seemed to have gotten the same impression as Soi, and he spared a brief glance at his friend before Aizen continued. "...You've only been here since last year, but I'm sure Yamamoto-san could inform you about what Miss Shihouin is capable of doing even under the most minimal of circumstances." They were silent for a moment before the stillness was broken by, to the surprise of especially the speaker herself, Soi Fong.

"...E-excuse me, Principal...b-but this is a mistake!" She felt Kisuke's hand on her shoulder, as if to refrain her from speaking, but Soi continued unabated. "I KNOW Yoruichi-san-- she would never do something like this unless there was a reason for it! Gin--he must have--" She froze as Aizen walked straight up to her, the cold glare in his eyes hindering the words from leaving her throat.

"Ah...You're Soi Fong. A freshman, correct? And from what I understand..." he paused as he noticed the fire ignite in Yoruichi's eyes at his proximity to Soi, "...you've become 'friends'... a concept, you should know, that means nothing to this girl." The younger girl could almost feel the uncertain look as it crossed her face for only a moment, but she made an effort to keep up her stoic facade as best she could.

"...That's not true! I can promise you, she's a good person! If you'd just wait for her to tell you, I'm sure she'll explain th--"

"Well, while we're waiting for Miss Shihouin to open her mouth," Aizen said calmly as he stared the freshman down, "...I'm sure she won't mind if I explain some things to you. How can you be so defensive of a woman who attacked three boys at her orphanage, none of whom had any reason to recieve such treatment but that she wanted a toy of theirs?" Soi opened her mouth to begin a premeditated response but the unexpected bit of information caught her off guard, leaving a look of barely concealed surprise evident on her face.

"Oh, so she didn't bother to tell you that? Well," the bespectacled man continued, his voice gaining momentum as he spoke, the rush of impending victory betraying himself slightly, "...I'm sure that she would have told you about a series of robberies at small metropolitan stores by a gang, all of whom were eventually abandoned and set up by a girl whose face was never caught on camera, but whose description very CLOSELY resembles that of Yoruichi Shihouin at age 11? And of course she must have informed you, when you became such GOOD FRIENDS, about her long history of arbitrary physical violence ranging from elementary to middle school?" He stopped for only a moment, long enough to savor the utter disbelief Soi was displaying.

_No...It couldn't be,_ Soi told herself as she forced herself not to look at her friend. _Yoruichi couldn't be like that--she wouldn't..._

"Provided," he sighed, "...You won't find any of this in a police report, but this school does make an effort to find out EVERYTHING it can about a student before they're admitted. The enrollment staff made as many phone calls as they needed to, contacting everyone who ever crossed paths with Miss Shihouin on the street. With her grades at that point being what they were and what the 'confidential' reports assessed, she wouldn't have even set foot on the lawn of this building if it hadn't been for her parents. They PAID their way in for their precious little girl, and even after they died they essentially had it ironclad that she attend here. And since she never was caught in the act and no one was brave enough to rat her out to the authorities, she's never been so much as fined. It must be nice to be treated like such a princess," he said darkly as he turned to the dark girl, "...Right, 'Shinshun' Yoruichi?" The upperclassman's eyes narrowed at the sound of her old nickname, and even though she did nothing it was obvious she would have been ecstatic for the opportunity to beat Aizen senseless.

"A...Aizen-san!" the dreadlocked teacher said with obvious disdain. "Miss Shihouin's past actions have nothing to do with this!" Every other teacher in the room seemed to agree with him but Aizen continued unabated.

"I think they do, Tousen-san. The fact that Shihouin does have these 'tendecies' should tell you that this instance is far from isolated, and that her punishment should not be one that shows the slightest bit of leniency. She's committed a horrible act and should be treated as such. Besides, isn't all this true, Miss Shihouin?" The eyes of everyone in the room fell on Yoruichi, and though they didn't bother her she looked down defiantly when she felt Soi's pleading look on her. After a moment, she took a breath and spoke for the first time in nearly half an hour.

"...Yes. It's all true."

If Soi had looked in a mirror at that moment she would have been face to face with a girl who only looked like her, if she had been born a deathly shade of white. She stared harder at Yoruichi, as if doing so could make time fly backwards, undo what she'd just heard, but when the ticking of the clock on the wall failed to reverse its course she simply gazed into space. The teachers, who all seemed to be aware of these facts, did not move or emote in the slightest, but when Yamamoto spoke they all flinched as one.

"Aizen-san-- I must agree with Tousen that you're quite out of line at the moment. However...the fact is that Miss Shihouin cannot be allowed to think this sort of behavior can pass-- with ANYONE in this school. Yoruichi Shihouin," he said and Yoruichi instantly looked up at the Principal, as steady as a confessed criminal awaiting the sentence. "...You are hereby expelled from Rukongai until further notice."

_...Expelled?_ The word, the tiniest of pebbles added to the already overtaxed scales of her mind, sent Soi's sense of reality crashing to the ground. She felt too numb to speak, to even think, but Kisuke's voice suddenly rang out, angry and indignant.

"Principal, I have to ask you to reconsider! She hasn't done enough to warrant th--"

"Kisuke Urahara--refrain from speaking or I'll ask you to leave!" Unlike Yoruichi, Kisuke knew when to stop, and so it was with an audible growl that the blonde stepped back from the desk he had thrown his hands down on in his frustration. "...No police reports will be filed yet, although I'm sure Ichimaru-san will be quick to respond to that," Yamamoto said in a calmer tone as he turned to a still unmoved Yoruichi. "...I'd like for you to have your things removed by the end of the day. You're all dismissed."

Yoruichi was the first to go, and after a moment Kisuke and Soi followed. Once they left the office, Soi ran ahead, catching up with the upperclassman only to find that she was still not looking at her.

"...Yoruichi-san?" Soi began quietly, wincing as her voice echoed in the silent hall along with the sound of their shoes hitting the ground. "Yoruichi-san, please tell me-- is it really...?" Before she could finish the older of the two picked up her pace slightly, leaving Soi standing alone while she headed off to begin gathering her books.

* * *

"Hey, you." 

Soi blinked as she walked out of Karate, her hair still slightly damp from the shower, to find Urahara standing there, smiling at her benignly as though nothing had happened. She, however, had been reminded of the event constantly-- when she had gotten back to class people who had seen her come out with Yoruichi pestered her for details, and all throughout her training with the intermediates she'd heard whispers of rumors that were already too far flung to be credible. She gave him a slight nod in response, too tired both mentally and physically for anything more coherent.

"...I thought I'd walk you home, after what happened to you over the weekend..."

"...I'm fine," Soi answered quietly, hitching her bookcase over her shoulder to lessen the weight on her arm. Kisuke, who seemed to have anticipated this response, nodded as he trailed behind her on the sidewalk. "...Where's, um..."

"...She got everything packed up in about an hour," he cut her off with a chuckle. "Probably at home watchin' movies as we speak." He hoped the joke would lighten Soi up a bit but she seemed even more depressed, so he only sighed and continued along to the juncture where they'd head in their own directions. "Well listen, kiddo," Urahara said after a minute of quiet, "...Are you sure there's nothin' I can do to help you out right now?"

"Urahara-san...What was Yoruichi-san like before?"

Kisuke flinched, nearly dropped his bag at the directness of the question. Sure, he'd been partly expecting it, but for it to come so quickly...

"...You've known her a long time, right? I just...I wanna know. Please." He nearly would have refused her had it not been for the fact that it was the first time he'd ever heard Soi Fong say 'please.' It was true that it wasn't really his right to tell about Yoruichi if she hadn't told Soi-- it was HER past, after all-- but somehow it occured to him that he wasn't just the only one Yoruichi trusted completely anymore. Soi deserved to know at this point. He gave a sigh, then moved to the curb and sat down, with Soi immediately following suit.

"...You sure you want me to tell you?" he asked calmly, glancing at his watch for the time. Soi stared at the ground for nearly a minute in contemplation, but then finally raised her eyes to meet his.

"Positive."

Kisuke took a deep breath, then started from as far back as he could recall.


	30. Films About Ghosts

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 30: Films About Ghosts

"Hello there, little boy."

The sound of a patronizingly sweet voice, the kind that even a child can recognize at age six as being utterly insincere, pulled the boy out of his fog of a daydream. Even though it had been a very vivid collage of cats, his favorite animal, he still couldn't piece it all together into a coherent whole. Instead he slowly looked up at the person who'd spoken to him, the first to actually do so in days. She was a rather old woman, and while a week ago he would have made fun of her to her face the energy to do so had abandoned him since then. "...Do you have a name? Don't be shy," the woman continued, occasionally casting an uneasy glance at the police officer accompanying the tyke.

"...Kisuke," he answered finally, earning an even more obnoxious smile from the woman that he wasn't sure was supposed to make him feel good or not.

"Here's his paperwork," the officer said gruffly as he let go of Kisuke's hand to give the woman a pen. "Full name, Kisuke Urahara. His legal guardian disappeared about a week ago, and he was only found because he came to a neighbor's house looking for food."

"That's terrible," the woman said dully, not sounding like she thought it anything other than ordinary. "...When did..." At this point Kisuke tuned out the conversation, playing with the paper clip he'd found on the floor of the policeman's car. He vaguely remembered the blue-uniformed man making a few attempts at amiable conversation, but he'd gotten bored after the standard-issue small talk questions ('What's your name,' 'how old are you?'), finding the little folded piece of wire more captivating. Its initial form was nothing special, but the possibilities it presented fascinated him, as capable of being a masterpiece as a block of marble is of being a statue.

"Oh!" the woman said as she fell out of conversation with the policeman, noticing the clip in Kisuke's hand and snatching it away. "You shouldn't play with that-- you'll hurt yourself!" The little blonde boy glared at the woman, angry at her intervention and at that obnoxious voice, but said nothing.

"He's a, uh...little quiet, if you can tell," the officer said with a shrug as the caretaker grabbed her new charge's hand. "...You sure he'll be all right here?"

"Don't worry-- I'll make sure that Kisuke-chan makes plenty of new friends. We'll watch over him much better than his father, at least."

* * *

Even looking back at the place he'd spent so much of his childhood at, Urahara still couldn't remember the name of the orphanage, the name of the obnoxious woman who'd run it, the majority of the people he'd lived and ate and fought over top bunk with. But then he'd had the rather convenient habit of blocking out anything that he found even slightly uninteresting, that bored him. Two things he did remember, though. He remembered that the woman's guidance towards acceptance with the others wasn't what he wanted at all-- he'd quickly begun making friends even if he'd had to act cheerful and sociable to do so; it was a fairly easy mask to wear and he did so for the rest of his life with zeal. The other thing that stuck out with clarity even after 13 years was the first time he'd met Yoruichi.

* * *

"Hey new kid! Move it, you're holding up the line." Kisuke turned from the water fountain to find a dark-skinned, scruffy looking girl standing behind him, a little taller than he and with short raven hair that stuck out at the sides. Normally the boy had enough good grace to treat the girls around him with a bit of chivalry, but after having to wake up early and be told by the caretaker that she was 'worried about his inattentiveness,' not to mention he'd nearly had a heart attack playing softball with a few of the guys, he was feeling less than willing to cooperate.

"No way, I'm thirsty! Wait your turn." He was just turning back around to take another drink when a strong hand grabbed the scruff of his t-shirt, turned him around, and he made eye contact with the girl moments before she broke his nose and shoved him to the ground. He stared up at her cold yellow eyes for a moment before what had happened actually clicked with him and he angrily wiped the blood dripping out of his orifice with his arm. "Hey, you cand do dat, you dumb gurl!"

"Screw you!" she growled back, and in spite of his defiance Kisuke felt himself flinch. He glanced at the other kids in line that she'd cut in front of, hoping they'd be equally indignant but they were all a fair distance away, fearful but still acting as if this was as much apart of their existence as the horrible food and the nearby jungle gym that had long ago rusted over. Once the girl was gone one of them ran over to him, a boy with curly dark hair and a rather long face.

"You okay?" Kisuke nodded, then accepted the hand-up as he wiped his nose again, frowning to find that it was smeared with fresh blood. "A piece of advice-- Don't get that girl angry at you if you can avoid it. She can be a real bitch." In spite of the seriousness of his situation Kisuke giggled at the other boy's casual swear, then followed him inside to the nurse.

"...Wad's gonna habben ib I ged her agry?" the blonde asked through a clogged nose as they walked, and for an answer the boy pointed significantly at someone leaning forlornly against the wall of the orphanage, arm and leg wrapped in thick casts.

"What's your name? You're new, right?"

"Huh? Yeah," Kisuke answered with a shrug, realizing that he was talking more than he had since he'd gotten here a few days ago. "...Id's Kisuke."

"Well, I'm Shusui. And don't worry, the nurse'll take good care of you--she's used to fixing broken noses around here."

* * *

For a few weeks Kisuke took his new friend's advice, building up a bit of popularity as he gradually got used to his new home, and his athletic capabilities made him a rather good catch for either side of the occasional softball game or gateball practice. To counteract this the girl from before, who he'd learned was called Yoruichi, started going out of her way to bother him-- a fact that only added to his growing respect among even the kids who'd been here for their whole lives and were dealing with the early throes of puberty. Apparently, Yoruichi didn't take very kindly to people who stood out or made a big impression on others here, and the fact that everyone was afraid to so much as sneeze in her presence had maintained her status as a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes she simply threw his lunch away in front of him, or otherwise grabbed a kid in his line of sight (boy or girl didn't matter to her) and began to beat them senseless, as if daring him to challenge her.

Kisuke was smart enough to know better, however, and always looked away. He did feel bad, but it wasn't his problem, and he didn't need to go looking for a fight anyway. At least that was what he told himself before Yoruichi finally managed to make him snap.

* * *

"You'd better be ready to pick that up," she said coldly as she glanced at the fallen bowl of cereal, milk and soggy cornflakes splattered on her ragamuffin sandals. Kisuke hesitated, the heat of every pair of eyes in the cramped dining room on them. He almost acquiesced, but like that day at the water fountain, a strange sort of rebelliousness gripped him.

"No."

"...Did you want to repeat that?" Yoruichi asked as she stepped closer, venom dripping into her voice with each syllable.

"C...clean up your own damn bowl," he managed after a swallow. In response Yoruichi promptly punched him in the face, glaring at him as if she was ready to kill him and was exercising all her self-control to avoid doing so.

"I SAID CLEAN IT THE HELL U--" she was silenced as the sound of knuckles connecting with bone sounded again, and it took the entire room, including Kisuke, a moment to realize that he'd just hit his nemesis, a shiner on her right eye leaving incontrovertible evidence that he hadn't just imagined it. Yoruichi stared at him for a moment, but then shock boiled over into fury and she pounced on him with a growl, and the two started hitting at every inch of each other they could reach until one of the adults ran over and broke them up.

* * *

"...If you'd just picked up the bowl, none of this would've happened."

Kisuke turned to look at the girl sitting beside him on the bench outside the caretaker's office, his attention diverted from the hypnotic rhythm of bubbles caused by the nearby water cooler. Both were much worse for the wear now; Kisuke had a few bruises and bumps on his face while Yoruichi had a fat lip to accompany her black eye.

"You started it," he retorted with as much tact and verbal prowess that a child can manage.

"Don't think I've got a problem beating some more sense into you," she hissed at the blonde.

"I managed to hit YOU a few times too, ya know." Yoruichi opened her mouth to continue the argument but only gave a petulant "hmph" and looked away.

"...That's the first time in a while, you know."

"Huh? I thought you weren't talking to me," Kisuke sneered at the girl's sudden declaration. Yoruichi ignored him, however, and continued speaking.

"None of the boys have ever hit me since I first got here. I figured they were all just too wussy to do it, but you don't seem that tough at all."

"Thanks," the blonde said while rolling his eyes at the 'compliment.' He turned to the girl to say something else but somehow it never came out, he just glanced at her stoic profile for a moment until the old woman came out of the nearby door.

"All right, you two can go back now-- but if I see you causing trouble again, Yoru-chan, it'll be time-out alone, understand?"

"...Fine," Yoruichi answered darkly as she tossed herself off the bench, Kisuke following along behind her. "What are you doing, new kid?" she asked after a moment of hearing his footsteps behind her in the hallway. "...Don't you got someone else you can bother?"

"Who cares what I'm doing...Yoru-chan?" Yoruichi turned around at the sound of the pet name the caretaker had forced on her three years ago, grabbing the boy's collar and pulling him close with surprising strength.

"Don't you EVER call me that again, you hear me? I HATE that stupid name!" He knew that he was in a bad situation all over again, but somehow it occured to Kisuke that there was something about pressing this girl's buttons that he actually...enjoyed.

"Oh, come on, Yoru-chan, don't be mean or you'll get a time out." As her eyes widened his bravado evaporated, and when her hand recoiled to deliver his punishment he was prepared to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. At least he was, until he felt a smack on the top of his head that, while softer than her fist, still hurt.

"Hmph. Wuss," she muttered under her breath as she walked away, leaving him in a heap on the floor. Kisuke rubbed his now-bruised crown and watched the girl walk away as he stood up, then muttered a curse of his own as he headed in the other direction.

* * *

"You're kidding! I don't remember it like that," Yoruichi said with a grin as she pushed her shoulder-length hair behind her ears.

"Oh, come on...Don't tell me you really forgot that?" the blonde chuckled in response. "It was only a few years ago."

"Well, I kicked a lot of kid's asses back then-- you can't expect me to rememeber them all." She gave Kisuke a teasing smile before jumping off the low wall of the public Middle school, landing gracefully on her feet. "Come on, we'd better get back inside before the bell rings." As Yoruichi tossed the remains of her lunch into the nearby trash can he couldn't help but feel a little glad, even though he knew she was just putting on an act for him.

After their fight at lunch all those years ago Yoruichi's behavior changed again; she suddenly began leaving Kisuke alone, and was actually friendly to him to a certain degree, greeting him with a curt nod at least, a wave of the hand at most. Even though he didn't quite know what was going on he had innately realized that they had reached an impasse of sorts, an unspoken bond of grudging respect that took him off her hostile radar. Yoruichi otherwise didn't change a bit even now; she still beat up anyone who happened to be in the vicinity when she was in a bad mood and never seemed to smile unless it was a sadistic sneer, but around Kisuke she gradually became softer, although he was the only beneficiary of this newfound benevolence. He never asked her why she was nice to him and she never offered him a reason, but he suspected that one of the reasons she lowered her guard with him was because he knew better than to bother her about stuff like that.

"Oh, Kisuke!" she said out of the blue as she pulled a small wad of cash out of her back pocket. "Here-- in case you wanted to order out for dinner tonight." The teen accepted the money silently, stuffing it into his own pocket carelessly.

"Oh, by the way...how's work going?"

"Ahh, a little slow," Yoruichi answered with a shrug. "You know how people get at the grocery store--all those old ladies and stuff..." Her companion nodded in acceptance, knowing the truth even though he was afraid to confront her with it. It hadn't surprised him when he caught her coming back to the orphanage late at night once, a handful of silver watches in her arms while the sound of other boys filled the street outside. But he knew better than to say anything--she'd just say it wasn't his business, then threaten him again. Somehow, in spite of the fact that he knew she was a bad seed, especially since she'd started hanging out with that Shiba girl and had added theft to her list of vices, he still couldn't bring himself to sever ties with her. Even though they were friendlier, they never talked about anything really personal. He didn't understand her any better at age 12 than he had at 6, but he never complained. If this is what she wanted, than he'd rather comply than drive her away.

* * *

"...You're what?"

"Believe it, Kisuke," Yoruichi said with a grin as she stuffed another shirt into her tattered briefcase. It was a few days after Yoruichi's fifteenth birthday, the snow outside the cramped building drifting in with the cold through the cracks in the orphanage's facade. "...I'm finally getting out of this hellhole. Just think about it-- I can't believe my worthless parents had that much money! I'll finally have my own place like you, and they had my name put down for Rukongai! I should be able to have some fun with the poor bastards out there..." She smiled that mischevious grin that he had come to love so much, forcing him to turn away quietly.

He would never admit it to her face, but puberty had been kind to Yoruichi...TOO kind, in fact. She had blossomed rather early, and thanks to the revelation of her newfound power over the opposite sex (and a surprisingly great number of her own), she had all but abandoned thievery for a different sort of rush, finding people much more enjoyable when they were worshipping her body than when they were on the ground covered in blood.

"Yoruichi..."

"Hmm? What is it?" she asked gently, putting her briefcase down and looking at the young man with concern due to the tone of his voice. She was still the same...but with him, her bitterness disappeared, replaced by gratitude and even kindness for the only person she could really call her friend.

"I...I was just thinking..." he said as he swallowed the words longing to escape his throat, "...are you really just going to the high school to play around?"

"...Well, what else am I gonna do?" Yoruichi said with a chuckle, her carefree attitude reappearing with surprising ease. "...I'm barely making failing grades as I am now, just like you, pal."

"Don't you think...that maybe it's time you calmed down a bit?"

"...Are you telling me what to do...Kisuke?" she responded in a whisper as dangerous as those she had used when they had first met, advancing on him with flashing eyes.

"N-no, I just...I just think that...you can do better than being in a gang, is all." Yoruichi stared at him for a moment, her fury evaporating as she considered his words. It was the first time he had ever really spoken his mind to her, and she turned away in silent consideration as he announced that he had to get home before long.

* * *

"'Shinshun,' you can't do this!"

"Come on!"

"I'm serious. I'm through with this shit, and you guys should be too. It's boring." At the sound of the name "God of Flash" Urahara glanced over at Yoruichi from the other side of the street; she was talking to a few of the more unscrupulous members of her little gang, and he smiled in a small measure of pride as she casually walked away.

"See guys?" one of them said as she retreated. "...I told you she was getting sof--" the blonde turned away with a chuckle as the now familiar sound of Yoruichi's shoes meeting an unsuspecting face sounded in the distance. Now that he knew Yoruichi wasn't going to be involved with people like that anymore, he had to make sure that she'd be all right where she was going. She was too smart, had too much hidden potential to spend the rest of her life in jail. Rukongai...her parents must really have been something-- it was nearly impossible to get in unless you had the smarts or the cash.

Fortunately he had plenty of the former, but he'd kept his intellect hidden so that he could stay with Yoruichi-- otherwise he'd easily be a college graduate by now. His grades were bad right now, so it looked like the only way in would be to pass the entrance test and get a scholarship. With that in mind, he promptly decided to get studying that evening.

* * *

Once he had brought Soi to the present, he looked over to see the girl staring blankly into space. He remained silent for a moment, needing a moment to recover himself. Just talking about it all had made him realize just how long he'd known her, how far they'd come and how little she'd really changed since that day at the drinking fountain. In fact, he couldn't remember ever seeing a genuine smile out of her. At least not until...

"...You okay?" he finally asked.

"H-huh?" Soi muttered, snapping out of her stunned trance. "Y...Yeah. I'm fine. I'd, uh, better get home," she said quickly as she lifted herself off the curb, the slowly sinking sun casting shadows across the landscape and bringing a chill that accompanied the one running down the freshman's spine. "...Urahara-san...Did Yoruichi...was she really like that?"

"...Yeah," he answered. He wanted to say something more comforting to Yoruichi's friend, but either he couldn't think of anything or he didn't want to as she walked away in a daze. Once Soi had become a dot on the horizon he stood up. He knew that even now, he was still in love with his best friend, and regardless of whether or not she could ever feel that way about him or for anyone he knew what he had to do. It took him ten minutes to walk back home, and he resolved to skip classes tomorrow so he could get to the hospital. He had quite a task ahead of him now, but he wasn't about to let Yoruichi's effort go to waste.


	31. Failure to Communicate

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 31: Failure to Communicate

_What am I gonna do?_

Soi found herself repeating that question in her head throughtout the entirety of the next day of school, at least when she wasn't trying to ignore the ridiculous rumors about her sempai. She answered problems in class, ate her lunch alone, and walked home by herself just like she had before, but now it occured to her just how empty her solitude had made her feel. But then Yoruichi had come into her life, and now it seemed like she was gone just as quickly.

_...Come on,_ she told herself as she plodded along on the sidewalk. _You were right after all. She was nothing but trouble. Just forget about her._

That was the absolute truth, but even so the love she had for Yoruichi, that she'd kept buried deep down, hadn't come close to fading; in fact they seemed to burn brighter within her than before. It confused Soi, this juxtaposition of reality and idealism she had whenever it came to the matter of the upperclassman, always believing in the best about her even though all the evidence pointed elsewhere.

Had she been blinded by these feelings, from seeing who Yoruichi really was all this time? But more importantly, did she still want to be with someone she knew had this darkness inside her?

_...Do I really feel that way about her?_

* * *

"Well, you're looking worse for the wear." 

Gin looked up from his half-eaten breakfast of eggs and sausage to find a rather unwelcome face framed by a mop of blonde hair standing in the doorway to his room, moving out of the way as his nurse exited silently.

"Well...ta whaddaeye owe th' pleasure o' ya company, Urahara?"

"Oh, not much," the teen answered as he walked over to the bedside wall and, without bothering to ask, pulled the chair in the corner of the room toward the hospital room bed, sitting on it so that he was straddling the wooden back. "...Feelin' any better?" Gin gave a snort at Kisuke's feigned concern, but otherwise did nothing to indicate he found his presence any more tolerable than a few moments ago.

"Well actually, I can't say that I'm in a very good place right now-- gettin' yer arm broken for no reason does that to ya. I think I may have ta let the police see what they can do about yer friend..."

"Ah. If that's the case, then I'll cut the friendly conversation," Kisuke interrupted with a grin, adjusting his hat so that he could make eye-contact with his peer. "...I've got a bit of a favor to ask you." Gin stared at the blonde for a moment before making another 'feh' sound, then twisted himself so that he could look Yoruichi's friend in the eye without putting pressure on his cast-encased right arm.

"An' wha' makes ya think that I'd wanna do a favor fer you? Did Yoruichi send ya ta finish me off or somethin'?" he asked with a clear tone of skepticism.

"...Because I know you had nothing to do with it." In an instant the taunting smile disappeared from Gin's face, and he was silent while Kisuke continued stoically. "I've seen what you and your little followers do for fun, and I know for a fact that something as big as sexual assault isn't your bag. A couple 'freelancers,' perhaps?" Ichimaru and Urahara stared at one another quietly, as if each was challenging the validity of the other's character. Finally Gin gave a slight nod, and the blonde interpreted correctly when he stood up long enough to slide the yellowed plastic curtain around the perimeter of the bed. "I'm not gonna force your hand. You do what you want," Kisuke said calmly. "...But if anyone besides Yoruichi knows about that tattoo of yours it won't be long before you start recuperating in a jail cell."

"Whaddaya suggestin'?" Gin asked in a subdued voice, though it still carried a hint of defiance to it.

"Don't file any charges against Yoruichi, and I want you to tell me everything you know about last week. I'll make sure you don't get in trouble for this."

"Hmm...Not much to tell," the silver-haired teen responded with a shrug. "...I actually don't see any a' those guys too much, so I can't think of why they'd up an' do that."

"Is there ANYTHING you could think of? Something unusual that happened?" Ichimaru searched his memory for only a moment before he had an epiphany, the meeting with Aizen suddenly coming back.

"Well, actually..."

* * *

Soi listened quietly into the reciever as the procession of tones and silence occured for the third time, hoping that she could get a chance to speak now. It continued for a moment until the click of the reciever at the other end sounded, and even though not a word was said the freshman knew she was being listened to. 

"...Yoruichi-san? Listen, I really need to talk to you about all th--" Within moments she was hung up on again, and while the Chinese girl wanted to keep trying she placed the reciever back on the hook slowly. She sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter to stare out the window at the dimming twilight. It was over, she understood, but she couldn't say she hadn't tried.

_...No,_ Soi thought to herself as her fists clenched in determination. She wouldn't let it end like this. Not after Yoruichi had become such a big part of her life. With a spark of understanding now flaring up within her she ran to the closet door, barely realizing that her father was working late again, grabbing her coat and heading out the front door, shutting it gracelessly behind her. She fought with the tired-looking but warm jean jacket her mother had left her for a moment before she succeeded in getting both arms in the sleeves, then took off for Yoruichi's house at a run even though she knew it would only shave about five minutes off the half-hour jog.

* * *

"...No way." 

"Come on, Hinamori-chan," Kisuke implored as he followed the tiny girl, fighting his way through the crowd of students as they left the building for the rest of the afternoon. He'd decided to wait until school let out to approach her, especially since what he wanted to talk to her about involved something of a rather personal nature. "...I need you to help me out here! Just listen for a minute and--"

"For the last time, there's nothing between Sosuke and me!"

"...So, you DO call him by his first name, eh?" Hinamori instantly clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized she had basically just confessed to the truth, and though she didn't like being nearly trampled in the halls by students, all the noise had at least kept anyone from understanding what they were talking about.

"...Look, it's really none of your business, is it? I've had enough trouble ever since Yoruichi blabbed in class a few weeks ago anyway!"

"Momo..." Kisuke said quietly, leaning in slightly to better be heard over the clamor. "...Yoruichi was expelled because your boyfriend set her up." The class representative for 4-E blinked, stared for just a minute before recoiling from the blonde with a look of scornful disbelief on her features.

"Th-that's ridiculous! I know Sosuke-- he wouldn't do that to anyone! He's a good man and he's always treated me with respect..."

"That may be the case," Urahara admitted with a slight shrug, "...but it doesn't change the fact that the possibility's getting more likely as I think about it. Momo," he implored gently. "...If you ARE close to him, I need you to help me."

"...I'll talk to you later," Hinamori said simply as she walked away, her plum blossom-decorated backpack swaying gently on her single shoulder while Kisuke sighed in defeat. He was going to have to do this the hard way after all.

* * *

She would never be so rude as to knock more than twice, but tonight seemed to be an exception: Soi was pounding away at the painted wooden door to Yoruichi's house with the brass knocker, her eyebrows narrowing in frustration when no one came. 

"Yoruichi-san, I KNOW you're there!" she finally yelled, hoping she could be heard through the barrier. "Please come out, I don't want you ignoring m--" she stopped on a dime as the door finally swung ajar slightly, revealing half of the dark upperclassman's body while the other was concealed behind the entrance.

"...What?" The older girl asked stoically, the first words she'd spoken to Soi in the last two days. For a moment Soi forgot herself; it didn't seem like Yoruichi was angry but it also didn't feel as though she was ecstatic about the freshman's presence. She instantly regretted this, wanted to forget the whole thing and just run away, but even so she spoke up.

"I-I...I was wondering if I could come in?" she asked shyly, and Yoruichi cocked an eyebrow at the contrast between her demure request and the boisterous racket she'd been raising a second ago. The two girls stared each other down, Yoruichi's silent entreaty for solitude doing nothing to deter the resolute look in Soi's eyes. Finally she stepped aside, giving a sigh that made her sound a bit like a tired old woman.

"...If you want to," Yoruichi said coldly, and despite her slight hesitation Soi slipped her shoes off and went inside.

A/N: Sorry this chapter's so short (blushes in shame), but I've been studying my ass off this last week and haven't had much time to devote to ol' Yoruichi and Soi-chan. I should have the next one up pretty soon, though!


	32. Understanding

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 32: Understanding

The bespectacled teacher sighed as he walked into his deserted classroom, stuffing a handful of leaflets from the staff meeting into the manilla folder under his arm. He wondered why Yamamoto insisted on making each conference longer every semester, especially since they never seemed to be about anything new. Always about funds and more funds and... he pushed the thought away with a yawn as he approached his desk, grabbing a few spare books from the sliding drawer before he heard a knock on the door.

"...Sorry," he called even as he wondered who would know he was here, "I'm afraid I'm off duty right now. If you need to meet with me tomorrow then I can arrange somethi--" He paused, dumbfounded, as a teen with a mop of unruly blonde hair walked in, smiling almost patronizingly as he strode up to the desk.

"Ah...Well, I hope you don't mind, Aizen-senei, but I really DO have something important to talk to you about."

"...What are you doing here, Urahara? You're not in my class..."

"No, I'm not," Kisuke admitted casually, "...I'd have to say I'm at LEAST half the bastard that you are." It took the teacher a moment to catch the student's double entendre, though it was more disbelief at such a impudent comment that blocked his understanding.

"Mr. Urahara, I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from such rudeness. If not, I'll be forced to--"

"What? If you're planning to sic a few punks on me I can promise that they won't come back without a few broken bones. But since Soi-chan didn't even know you I'd hate to see what you'd do to me, I have to admit." Aizen, torn between incredulity at the boy's clarity and his own growing indignance, was silent for a moment, pondering how best to counteract the teen.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're getting at, Urahara. If this is about the Shihouin girl I can assure you that she got what she deserved."

"Just tell me one thing," Kisuke said quietly, dropping his voice into a serious whisper. "...Why did you do go after Soi Fong? Were you too afraid to deal with Yoruichi yourself?"

"...Do you want to know why?" Aizen growled, perturbed to the point of recklessness. "Because she's trash. Just raising her voice to defend Shihouin proved that to me. Both of you are scum just for associating with her, with calling yourselves her 'friends.' Yes, I did it. And do you know why I'm letting you know all this? Because you have nothing that can prove it. There's not a single thing that you can do or say that can implicate me in this. Not to mention that as her friend you're not exactly the most unbiased source of information."

"Maybe not," Kisuke admitted, still giving that unnerving smile throughout the teacher's rant, "...But I don't think that this can be argued with." And with that the teen reached into his front jacket pocket and pulled out a tape recorder, hitting the rewind button for a moment before replaying the machine; at the sound of his own voice Aizen's confidence disappeared, accompanied closely by the blood in his face. When he felt the desired effect had been reached Kisuke turned the recorder off and stuck it safely in his pocket, holding Aizen's death glare with one of his own. "Now that you're feeling a little more open, I'd like to make an offer, Aizen-sensei. Either you get Yoruichi off the hook and leave this school for good, or else I give this to the Principal and you can leave in disgrace. So what's it going to be?"

"Hmph," Aizen answered, shaking Kisuke's confidence for a moment with his continued attempt at an air of power. "Even with that tape you have nothing on me. Without any witnesses you can't--"

"...Sosuke?" At the sound of her voice, full of disbelief and horror, Aizen felt his strength leave him again. Even though he knew who it was, he turned slowly, unwillingly, to the door to find Momo standing in the threshold, the damp shimmer of her hair and school swimsuit over her shoulder evidence that she'd just finished with swim practice. For a moment they all just stared at each other, Kisuke as surprised by her sudden arrival as her beau. Finally Aizen spoke, a much gentler and kinder version of the voice he had been using to berate Kisuke a moment ago.

"Mo--...Hinamori-kun..." He reached out a hand while he prepared to tell her not to be out like this if she was still wet, but she flinched, backed away as if his very presence had burned her. As her large brown eyes met briefly with his, Aizen silently lowered his hand: she had heard everything. Without a word she turned around, doing her best not to cry even though it was clear she was torn up from the inside out. Aizen prepared to run after her but Kisuke stopped him, beating the teacher to the door and slamming it shut.

"...You and I still need to come to an agreement before you chase after your lover, Aizen-sensei. I'm sure someone with your degree of respectability should have no problem convincing Principal Yamamoto to rescind his punishment." This time, Aizen only gave Kisuke the darkest of scowls before slumping his shoulders ever so slightly in defeat.

* * *

Yoruichi's eyes followed Soi as she entered, looking sheepish and saying nothing, unaware that her friend was still looking at her. Not ogling so much as her irises simply lingered, though. Eventually tact got the better of the older woman and she spoke to the girl.

"What did you want, Soi Fong?"

"H-huh? Oh..." Soi muttered, her silent awe at being once again in Yoruichi's massive home making her forget herself a bit. "...I...Yoruichi-san, I need to talk to you. About this whole mess--Kisuke told me th--"

"...So he told you about me already?" Soi froze at her friend's perceptive comment, still delivered in the tone of detachment she'd used earlier. After a moment she gave a slow nod, and Yoruichi turned to the freshman quietly. "Then what else is there to talk about?"

"Y...Yoruichi-san, i-it's not about that...REALLY," she added upon seeing the upperclassman begin to walk away. "I just...I wanted to tell you that I--" Seemingly ignoring the freshman, Yoruichi turned her back and exited into the kitchen, leaving Soi standing alone with naught but her own thoughts. She heard that little voice in her again, urging her to stop putting up a fight, that Yoruichi wasn't going to listen to her, but before she could act or not the dark girl walked back in, carrying a pair of water glasses and handing one of them to Soi. She hesitantly accepted the sweating cup, taking it as a sign that Yoruichi was willing to listen, and followed her friend to the couch, both sitting on either end.

"...I'm surprised you're here, actually," Yoruichi said quietly, once she had taken a sip of the cool liquid.

"What do you mean?" the freshman asked indignantly, forgetting herself in light of what she assumed was an assault on her character. "...I've been trying to call you since yesterday!"

"That's not what I mean." Even though her face was turned just enough that Soi couldn't see it and the tone of her voice hadn't changed, Soi could tell that there was something more to what the upperclassman was saying than her words let on. "...I just figured you wouldn't want me hanging out with you anymore, is all."

"...What?" Soi managed once she had processed her friend's statement, certain she had heard wrong. "Why would you think that, Yoruichi-san?"

"Don't you remember all that stuff you said about 'avoiding troublemakers?'" Soi blinked, disbelieving, as Yoruichi continued. "Not that I can blame you," she added with a chuckle, "...I'm not exactly saintly, so it's really no big d--"

"NO!" Before she could stop herself she'd yelled so loud that Yoruichi flinched, sloshing the drink on her baggy sleep pants in her surprise. Once Soi realized what she had done she was quiet for a little bit, but then broke the awkward silence. "...Yoruichi-san...Is that really why haven't been speaking to me?" Another silence provided her answer, but Soi continued undaunted. "...I-I know I said that, but... i-it doesn't really matter to me what you did before." At this Yoruichi finally turned to face her, mild disbelief evident on her features. "I...I know that you didn't tell me about it, but...I really can't blame you, can I? I mean, you wanted to change when you came to high school, right? W-what you did before isn't any of my business, and besides you're still the--"

She froze, stopped herself as the words threatened to escape her lips, nudged on by uncertainty, oblivious to the way Yoruichi's eyes opened a little wider, as if she was somehow hoping to hear what she had meant to say. But it was gone in less than a second, buried by Soi's insecurity as she quickly devised a safer term of affection for Yoruichi.

"...You're...still the best friend I ever had. Well, really...my only friend." Soi gave her lips permission to curl upwards at the ends for just a moment before they returned to the normal horizontal line on her face, but the older girl caught it. "I...I guess that's all I really had to say, so..." the freshman finished as she stood up, not daring to look at Yoruichi. "...I'll go if you want me to."

"Soi." It was the gentleness in her friend's voice, so different from the way she'd spoken to her in the past few days, that made her turn around, Yoruichi's face breaking into the smallest and most sincere of smiles as she did so. "...Thank you."

"H-hey, no need to get so serious..." Soi muttered as she turned to hide the tint of red on her cheeks. "Well, I'd uh...I'd better get home," the girl said hurriedly, heading for the door before her friend's voice stopped her.

"Wait! Have you eaten yet?"

"Uh...No," Soi answered, surprised by the query. With her signature grin plastered to her face once more, Yoruichi stood up and walked to the kitchen.

"Well, you want some pizza? Don't worry-- I'm not going to cook it," she added with a chuckle, and hearing Yoruichi talk like her old self made Soi laugh as well. "I'm in this for the long haul, so I may as well get used to it."

* * *

Yoruichi yawned as the phone beside her bed rang, planning to ignore it until it occured to her that it might wake up Soi downstairs, and the thought of her peacefully resting friend was enough to make her reach for the reciever and put it to her ear.

"...Huhllo?" the upperclassman mumbled, incoherence still maintaining its grip on her.

"Hello, Miss Shihouin."

"Um...Principal Yamamoto?" Yoruichi said with quite a bit more awareness, the caller's voice instantly recognizable and every bit as gutteral as it sounded in person. "...What are you calling me for?" Ignoring the girl's rather tactless response the head of Rukongai continued.

"...It seems that information regarding recent...events has come to our attention today. It was revealed to us today that while you are indeed guilty of attacking Gin Ichimaru, you actions were not entirely without basis."

"...Huh?" she asked, confused. "...What's that?"

"...I'm saying, Miss Shihouin, that as of today your expulsion has been rescinded." The pause that greeted his words told him plainly that she was still listening, but uncharacteristically at a loss for words. "...I'm reducing it to a suspension, on the grounds that you understand the severity of what you have done."

"O...of course, sir!" Yoruichi managed, even though she was afraid that this might simply be a dream.

"Very well, then-- we'll be expecting you back in two weeks time...and of course you will be responsible for all work missed." She hung up the phone once they had finished speaking, and for a moment she simply sat in bed, stunned.

I'm back. That means... With a smile she jumped out of bed and ran for her door, nearly forgetting her pajama bottoms on her way out. She hobbled down the steps as she shoved her foot through each pant-leg, nearly tripping as she hit the bottom step.

"Soi! You're not gonna believe-- Kisuke?" she blinked upon finding her friend sitting opposite the freshman at the breakfast table, giving her a jovial wave as he poured himself a bowl of her sugar-coated cereal. "...What are you doing here?"

"Oh, not much," he answered noncommittally. "...I just heard about what happened at school. Glad to have you back, Yoru-chan." The dark girl pulled her hand back reflexively at the reprise of her abhorred nickname, but stopped herself when a flaw in his alibi occured to her.

"...How did you know about me coming back?"

"Y-you're coming back, Yoruichi-san?!" Soi interjected, joy lighting up her face despite her best efforts to restrain herself. "T...that's great!" Her mood deflated slightly when Yoruichi ignored her, still befuddled over what Urahara had said.

"Seriously Kisuke, how do you know about it? I just got the call from the Princip..." She stopped, a revelation once again stopping her and this time bringing a broad smile to her lips.

"What?"

Before he could say anything else Yoruichi threw her arms around him, laughing jovially as she rubbed his skull roughly with her knuckles.

"You did it, didn't you! How the hell did you convince them?" Urahara nearly lost his nerve just from his friend's proximity to himself, at the heat her body was creating against his without her realizing it, but years of keeping the emotion subdued prevented him from giving himself away.

"Well, it wasn't too hard...and I'll just say that Aizen won't be there to give you any more trouble."

"Goddamnit, Kisuke! I always knew you had a good head on your shoulders!" she said teasingly, throwing an arm around his neck that both conveyed playfulness and gratitude.

"Um...I'd better be getting to school..." Soi muttered as she slipped off her chair, pretending to glance at the nearby clock on the wall.

"Huh? But I thought you were gonna make breakfast!" Yoruichi jibed, pointing at the new loaf of bread sitting beside the toaster.

"S-sorry, Yoruichi-san, I just...I need to get going so I can study for, uh...Geometry..."

"All right, well...see you later, all right Soi! And thanks for visiting last night!" Yoruichi said loudly, succeeding in hiding her slight disappointment from the girl. Soi didn't hear her goodbye as she left for the front door at a run, not even registering her gratitude that she'd gone home last night on the foresight of needing her books and a fresh uniform. All she could think about was Yoruichi embracing Kisuke, and even though she knew there was nothing romantic behind her display of affection the idea of them kissing wouldn't leave her head.


	33. Search

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 33: Search

Yoruichi cast the slightest of glances at the empty seat where Momo had been until just a few weeks ago, more out of habit than anything else. Perhaps it was because she still hadn't fully recovered from the idea that the Class Representative, who'd never done a single overtly impulsive thing in the four years Yoruichi had known her, would up and leave only three days after Aizen's 'resignation' took effect.

"Hey, what's up?" Kuukaku asked casually, noting her friend's brief look of concern, but upon following the other girl's gaze understanding came upon her. "...Ah, don't worry about Hinamori. I'm sure she'll be fine at that new school of hers. But can you believe that her family really moved to Okinawa?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," the dark upperclassman agreed, recalling the officially stated reason for the short girl's absence even though instinct had told her better. "...I just hope she's really gonna be happy, is all."

* * *

Even though the trouble with Gin had been cleared up and the boy was now comfortably back to his old (if mild) habits, everyone had begun to treat Yoruichi differently. Instead of the adoring respect she recieved before the attack, the upperclassman seemed to garner more fear than anything else now, and even though students would stop talking when she rounded a corner or else back up against the wall for fear of aggravating her she never took notice. Soi supposed as Yoruichi walked towards her and her peers cleared away like a swarm of cockroaches that it simply didn't bother the older girl, but the ignorant reactions of the student body were frustrating Soi to no end.

"Hey, Soi!" Yoruichi called with a smile as Kuukaku trailed behind, apparently of the same mindset as the freshman in that she was glaring dangerously at the cringing spectators. "...You getting ready for finals?"

"W-well, I'd LIKE to say that I'm prepared," the Chinese girl joked, and Yoruichi gave an appraising chuckle in response. She wasn't sure when Soi had decided that she had a sense of humor, but the upperclassman had to admit that she liked it-- a good change of pace. "...But what are you doing down here, Yoruichi-san? Don't you have class in a minute all the way upstairs?"

"Well, yeah, but I wanted to give you something real quick--I'd give it to you later," she muttered as she brought her bookcase in front of herself, then began leafing through the assorted mess of papers purposefully, "...But I'm afraid I'd just forget about... Ahh, here it is!" With a flourish Yoruichi pulled out a small envelope, sealed with a sticker of an exaggerated holly wreath. Soi hesitantly accepted the letter, then carefully pulled the seal away and removed a beautifully stamped stationary card.

"...A Christmas/Birthday party?" the freshman pondered aloud, wondering if she'd read the label incorrectly.

"Don't forget 'New Year's," Yoruichi corrected. "See, every year we always just combine my birthday party with the holidays, since they're right next to each other."

"Really? W-when's your b-birthday, Yoruichi-san?" The girl was grateful this had come up-- she had been meaning to ask Yoruichi about just such an event without seeming too obvious in her intentions.

"January 1st: New Year's Day," Yoruichi grinned, as though she was incredibly proud of 'her' achievement. "Well anyway," she continued, "...We'll exchange gifts and I'll get Kisuke to make something good (she didn't notice her friend's slight tensing at the boy's name)... maybe we'll break out the booze..." she added as an afterthought with a wicked smirk.

"B-but I can't... S-see, I'm spending the day with my dad on Christmas." For a moment Yoruichi fumbled, feeling her equilibrium wobble at her friend's statement, but she recovered it just as quickly.

"Oh, come on-- Your Dad won't miss you for a few hou--"

"We REALLY need to get to class, Yoruichi," Kuukaku interrupted with an abundance of false joviality, pulling the dark girl away from Soi with an almost surprising amount of strength.

"Uh, okay...and even if you can't be there, I'm still expecting a gift from y-- OWW!" Yoruichi began but was again stopped by the unruly girl beside her, who had struck her with an elbow before she could complete her statement. "What the hell, Kuukaku?!"

"Jeez-- I don't know jack shit about manners but even I can tell that was a damn stupid thing to say!"

"Oh, come on, I was just kidding! She knows me better than that!" Yoruichi said dismissively, even as Kuukaku made another blow to the gut.

* * *

Despite Yoruichi's assertion that Soi would know she was kidding, the freshman made the fifteen-minute walk to the mall as soon as school let out, assuring herself that Abarai-sensei would have some form of unpleasant repentance planned for her at Karate tomorrow. Once her legs had carried her to her destination, bustling with people even this early in the afternoon, Soi was there for about a half-hour before leaving in slightly lower spirits.

_Damn,_ she cursed to herself as she double-checked her wallet, as if doing so would cause the handful of hundred-Yen bills to suddenly multiply of their own accord. It was bad enough that she barely had anything TO save from the meager allowance she was able to recieve-- most of it went straight to school lunches for the week-- but on her initial check nothing seemed like it was good for Yoruichi.

_Wait...what am I doing,_ Soi thought out of the blue as she stared suspiciously at her money. _I'm Christmas shopping in NOVEMBER, for God's sake._ After taking a calming breath the girl retired her moneyholder to its place in her jacket pocket, then proceeded home.

_I'm getting all worked up,_ she assured herself. _I've got plenty of time._

* * *

A month later, Soi was busy kicking herself mentally for even allowing that notion to take root in her head. The party was less than a week away (as Yoruichi had jovially reminded her just that morning, along with a teasing chorus of 'you'd better get me something goo-ood!') and even though she had managed to raise a respectable amount she now faced the problem of what Yoruichi would like. She wished she could just flat out ASK the older girl but her intuition had insisted that she do no such thing, and like a fool she had listened.

"...But THAT one seems like a good deal. Soi?"

"H-huh?" the freshman asked while blinking herself to the here and now, turning away from the wooden building she had been staring at and to her father, covered in pine needles from the various coniferous trees surrounding the tiny parking lot.

"Which one of these do you like? Personally, I'm favored toward this little guy...just my opinion, of course..." the older man said in a comically uncertain tone even as he indicated the tree he preferred, and Soi let the tiniest of laughs out as a sign of her mirth. She glanced at the two trees, the tops of both barely passing the petite girl's chest height, then let her gaze linger on the one her patriarch so clearly favored. He was right; it was sturdy as far as she could tell and the needles seemed content to stay on the branches, meaning less trouble when it came time to cleaning. It was funny just how in sync they were sometimes, but instead of acknowledging this verbally she simply nodded and the padded jacket-clad salesman typed a few numbers into his small calculator before he indicated that he was ready for payment, which the eldest Fong handed over without hesitation.

"...Somethin' on your mind, Soi-chan?" he asked once they had left the small lot of trees, hauling their prize on a wagon as if it was a prize deer.

"Well..." she began while her eyes caught a lit-up statue of Santa, his endless bag of toys bringing her back to her previous concern. They walked in silence for a moment before she finally thought better of her planned statement and dismissed the subject. "...It's no big deal, Dad-- really..."

"Well, if you don't...mind..." he grunted while pulling harder on the cart, the tree jostling slightly with each tug, "...I'D like to ask what's bothering you. You've been awfully...well, strange for the last few weeks."

Soi blinked, unable to speak immediately. Had her behavior really been that noticeable? What if he suspected about her...feelings...for Yoruichi? Would he reject her, force her to leave his sight? She thought that her father was better than that, but of course she was treading into unknown territory. Who was to say what he would do if he found out that what his perfectly normal daughter had in mind for a date was the girl she'd 'brought home' before?

"Soi...You know you can tell me anything, right?" the older man said after a time, looking at his daughter imploringly.

"...Of course, Dad. I'm just a little worn out, is all," Soi answered with a sweet smile, then immediately changed the subject to what she was going to put on the tree once their meager collection of ornaments was unpacked.

* * *

"Oh, very nice choice," the sales girl said with a wide grin as Soi held the sweater in front of the mirror, trying to guess offhand if it would fit Yoruichi but failing to get a proper mental picture of the older woman's height. "That's one of our newest ones-- lightweight, but it really is made more for fashion than comfort."

"I guess so..." Soi responded absentmindedly as she looked the dark ribbed garment over again. It WAS very nice, and she would have bought it, out of desperation more than anything at this point, if the price tag hadn't told her otherwise. Noting her customer's considerable drop in enthusiasm the clerk gently replaced the sweater on the nearby rack, then guided the girl over to the clearance section.

"Now, if you're looking for something a little more...reasonable (the slight hint of destain that comes easily to one knowledgable in the area of fashion was not lost on the fairly uneducated Soi), I could suggest--"

"...not pushing for commissions?" Both women turned to find Kisuke standing just behind Soi, making the petite girl nearly jump as she faced him. He had a plain shopping bag slung over his shoulder and even though his hat was shielding his face, the freshman could discern the look of slight annoyance on his features.

"Excuse me, sir, but I'll have to ask for you to leave the young lady alone," the clerk finally said. "...And please remove your hat while inside the store." She and Kisuke locked serious gazes for just a moment, and Soi was wondering if something was going to happen when the teen threw a free hand on her shoulder.

"Geez sis, I told you this place is a ripoff, didn't I?" The clerk was silent, then made a mumbled apology before walking off, and Soi was still a bit too shocked by what he had said to speak coherently.

"S-s-sister?!"

"Relax, Soi-chan," Kisuke muttered with a grin as he guided her out of the store and into the main alley of the mall, where swarms of people like her were busy with last-minute Christmas shopping. "...I got you out of that place, didn't I? Trust me, it's ridiculously overpriced."

"...Thanks, I guess..." she responded with a shrug, though she was still a little annoyed from being called 'chan' by someone other than her Dad.

"Who were you shopping for, anyway?" the blonde asked while glancing back at the shop they were rapidly putting behind them. "That's really not the sort of place I expected to see you in. I mean, I just kinda recognized you from outside, but when I noticed that salesgirl I remembered--"

"...Yoruichi-san..." Soi admitted quickly, forgetting her manners in her nervousness. Urahara blinked in surprise, then gave her a slight smirk.

"...You know that she hates the place you were just in, right?" He laughed at her flabbergasted expression, then waited for her to recover before continuing. "Yeah, she thinks all the clothes are stupid, anyway. What are you wanting to get? I'm sure I can help you find one at a better price."

"I...I don't know."

"Well, then I don't see what the big deal is," he answered. "...Just get her a gift certificate or somethi--"

"No. It has to be something good."

"...Why?" Soi opened her mouth automatically to answer, but she hesitated instead. There was only one reason she could think of, but of course it wasn't exactly one she could tell HIM.

"I... Because...because she's done so much for me this year," the freshman finally decided. "I just...wanna get something that tells her that." Of course, she wished that she could find something cheap that would be able to express what she REALLY felt, but it was unlikely she'd find it with Kisuke tagging along. The older boy gave a comprehending nod, then without a word began walking off in a different direction.

"H...hey!" Soi called, annoyed that he was ignoring her all of a sudden. She gave a growl before following him, weaving a path through the people swarming around her until she finally caught up with him, standing near the entrance to a much smaller boutique than the one she had been in a moment ago. "Don't just walk away from m--" she began, but stopped when she noticed the table past the store's threshold, covered with long scarves made with the kind of cotton that was thick and warm, and emblazoned with a different pattern on each one.

"She DID mention the other day that she needed a new scarf," Kisuke said nonchalantly before leaving Soi with the slightest of grins.


	34. Gifts

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 34: Gifts

"Hey, you guys made it!" Yoruichi exclaimed as Shunsui walked in with Nanao permitting him to lead her by the arm, and Ukitake bringing up the rear. "...I thought you weren't going to come this year!"

"Ha! As if I'd miss out on a free party at your place!" the scruffy teen answered jovially. "Now Yoruichi-san, I've got some beer in the backseat of my car, but if you've already got something stron--"

"...We won't be drinking tonight," Nanao cut him off severely, accompanied by a smack to her companion's face. Yoruichi gave the two of them a teasing look, then pointed in the direction of the kitchen when the bespectacled girl held up a pair of brightly-wrapped packages. Ukitake gave her a friendly "Happy Birthday" and "Merry Christmas" before following his friend's lead, then breaking off to speak to Urahara, busy loitering near the door with a cupfull of soda in hand.

The party was fairly small, as it consisted mainly of her and Kisuke's close friends from the beach house, but it was nonetheless quite the festive occasion. The couch and chairs had been pushed slightly to the side to make room for people to dance (though few were content to do more than hum along idly with the Christmas-themed music), and with Kisuke's help over the past few days she'd succeeded in putting up absurdly tall Christmas tree she'd insisted on buying, covering it liberally with garlands and flashing lights they had purchased on a previous holiday. Rangiku was making one-sided 'girl talk' with Nanao while Gin lazily observed the room over the top of his cup (Yoruichi had invited him mainly as a show of good faith after her attack on him, and though she didn't exactly apologize he didn't seem terribly intent on holding it against her). Kyoraku had invited Isane to moderate an argument he was having with Kuukaku (something about whether or not "The Nightmare Before Christmas" counted more as a Halloween or Christmas movie), and Ukitake was doing his best not to sneeze on the table spread with sushi, cake slices and curry chicken; he had a handful of tissues in his hand at the ready accompanied by a small bottle of cold medicine.

Once Yoruichi had taken another bite of her cheesecake she reluctantly set the decadent treat down and, unable to resist the temptation, she opened her front door just enough to see the unpopulated street before the house, wincing as the rapidly cooling air nearly gave her hypothermia on the spot.

"What are you doing?" Yoruichi realized at the sound of her best friend's voice that she had been looking outside for nearly two minutes, and as such promptly shut the elements out and turned to face the blonde.

"What? I'm just looking outside, is all," the girl answered dismissively. "...I heard it was supposed to snow tonight, and--"

"I've seen you do that at least four other times since the party started, Yoruichi." The dark woman sighed in defeat at being found out, though the what-kind-of-a-fool-do-you-take-me-for grin on Kisuke's mug was a bit of a wear on her good humor. "What are you looking for? You haven't really talked to anyone since they got here."

"...I'm just checking for Soi, okay?" she finally admitted, looking none-too-happy about it. "She said she was gonna try to drop by once she was done having dinner with her Dad, and I wanna make sure she gets her present."

"...Okay..." Urahara muttered with a shrug as he walked back to the party. "...But you know, she's with her FAMILY on Christmas. I'm not saying I know any better than you, but I don't think she'll be here for a while." Yoruichi said nothing in response to this; she simply gave the closed door a sidelong glance before the boy interrupted her musings again. "Come enjoy the party, Yoruichi. It IS yours, after all."

* * *

Soi gave her father an appreciative smile as she carefully pushed aside the tissue paper lining the flimsy cardboard box to reveal her gift.

"Well, how is it?" her father asked from a few feet away, busy unwrapping the CD she had bought him of his favorite music even as he looked to her for a sign of her reaction.

"I...I love it!" she said after a moment of awed silence, holding out the black-and-yellow longsleeve at shoulder height. "Thanks, Dad!"

"Now, you know that if you don't like the color or something that you can get it exchanged..."

"No, really-- it's perfect!" Soi pressed enthusiastically. She wasn't sure why, but somehow it felt like black-and-yellow stripes...suited her. "...I'm just glad you got the evening off, is all."

"Well, we're in the middle of a big case; I'm lucky I got more than an extended lunchbreak." The freshman's smile widened at the joke as she set about picking up the few scraps of wrapping paper and tossing them into the nearby wastebasket, looking away as her eyes fell onto her watch and told her it was 15 minutes past 6:00.

_Yoruichi's party should be starting now..._

While part of her wanted to go, if only for Yoruichi's sake, the other half was adamantly opposed to the situation on account of buyer's remorse. The scarf she'd bought for her sempai had looked so nice before, but now it only seemed gaudy and ridiculous.

She's not gonna miss one gift at the party, Soi reasoned. Not to mention that as an underclassman, she'd probably only succeed at ruining the vibe of the whole event. It was probably better if she didn't go and then could give her the embarrassing gift later on if she HAD to.

"Well then," the older man called as he headed to the tiny kitchen, "...How about we have some dinner? I bought your favorite kind of croquettes the other day..." Within moments Soi threw on an excited smile, deciding that she could brood over it when she wasn't spending time with her father.

* * *

"Hey, thanks Yoruichi!" Rangiku called from the other side of the living room, surrounded by her small mountain of unwrapped gifts, the newest addition to which was a rather plain but nonetheless expensive chain necklace dangling from the Senior's left hand. "I really like it!"

"Y-yeah, I really like what you got me...too..." Yoruichi managed as she forced a smile on her face and set the gift the blonde and Gin had purchased for her with the others she'd also recieved.

_Three bottles of sake...do they think that I'm a drunk or something,_ the young woman thought with a wry grin. It wasn't a bad haul this year, though-- a gift certificate for her favorite store in the mall (she wondered how Ukitake had found out), an orange windbreaker from Kisuke, the trio of bottled rice wine from Rangiku, Shunsui and Kuukaku. While everyone was busy talking amongst themselves, unwrapping gifts and occasionally trading ones they found unsatisfactory, Yoruichi glanced out the window, feeling her spirits drop slightly at the sight of rapidly falling snow half-visible thanks to the glare of the indoor lights against the glass and already piling up beside the windowsill.

She was starting to worry about Soi, wondering if she was going to get to the party or not. Part of her felt like calling, just to make sure that if she wasn't coming that she was enjoying herself, but she brushed the thought away. She simply didn't call people if they were late, it was their perogative and thus none of her business, but...

The sound of the front door opening made her jump slightly, and she looked away from the window only to find Isane slipping her coat on.

"Well, thanks for inviting me, Yoruichi, but I've gotta meet someone for breakfast tomorrow, so..."

"Wait a minute! Breakfast during the holiday?" Rangiku called out to the short-haired girl, dashing away from her boyfriend and drawing so close to Isane that she flinched. "...What's all THAT about, I wonder?"

"N-nothing," she muttered. "I-I-I'm just meeting a friend!"

"Ooh, not from THAT tone, you're not," the well-endowed girl teased as she threw on her most predatory grin. "...Is it a special friend? Someone from school?"

"N-n-no," Isane insisted. "She's just--!" In an instant the girl covered her mouth, face burning red from embaressment.

"Oh, so it's a SHE, eh?" Shunsui called from his sprawled position on the floor, suddenly finding an interest in the conversation. "Well that definitely proves it! I wonder who it is?"

"I know," Kuukaku said with a smirk. "It's--"

"Kuukaku!"

"Relax, Isane--I'm just kidding," the gruff woman said with a dismissive wave while everyone shared a chuckle at Isane's expense.

"...Ah, forget it!" Isane grumbled as she headed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Geez, I think we were a little hard on the kid," Kisuke admitted as he went back to fiddling with the wooden cane Yoruichi had bought him as a gag present.

"Ahh, don't worry-- I wouldn't tell you guys who it is anyway," the Shiba girl said with a grin, upon which the room groaned as one in disappointment.

"Well," Yoruichi asked as she glanced at the trash now covering the carpet and debating whether or not to clean it up today (she decided to wait until tomorrow), "...What do you guys wanna do now? I've got a karaoke machine downstairs, and--"

"OOH! Karaoke drinking games!" Kuukaku suggested enthusiastically, catching the guests by surprise.

"Huh? Why do they have to be drinking games?"

"Alright, everyone downstairs!" Rangiku yelled as she grabbed the three bottles of sake along with Kuukaku. "Shunsui, grab some glasses!"

"Will do!" he said as he headed for the kitchen, though his girlfriend gave him a look that told him that was going to be the extent of his proximity to alcohol tonight. As everyone rushed around the staircase to the door that lead to the stereo-equipped lower floor, Yoruichi gave a sigh that was equal parts annoyance and comprehension. At least she knew now why they'd REALLY bought the sake.

* * *

"I'm gonna go to bed, Dad."

"So early?" Soi's father asked as he turned from the TV and the lighthearted Christmas special that was currently occupying all their basic cable stations. "...I guess if you want to, but didn't you have something planned for tonight?"

"...Where'd you hear that?" Soi asked as she froze, midway up the stairs.

"Well, your friend Urahara-kun called earlier today-- he said to make sure that you were coming to Yoruichi's party."

_Damnit,_ Soi cursed to herself as she walked down the steps just enough to make eye contact with her father. "...Look, it's really no big deal. I told them earlier that I was going to be spending Christmas here, anyway. I'm sure they're having plenty of fun without me."

"But it sounded like your friends were expecting you, Soi! I didn't raise you to ignore people like that! Now if I know my daughter, which I can only hope I do," he insisted, not catching the way Soi flinched at the coming accusation, "...I'd say that you're not going because you feel guilty about something."

"N-no..." Soi muttered as she looked at the ground, not wanting to bring up her present for Yoruichi.

"...Do you feel guilty about spending time with your father?" At this she blinked, surprised, but before she could make a rebuttal the older man continued. "You aren't obligated to spend EVERY Christmas with me, Soi. I know that you're getting older and you've got other places you want to be at. Now what time's this party? If you go quickly then you might be able to at least apologize--"

"Dad, it's not that!" Soi insisted, worried that her father might actually think, even for a minute, that she didn't care immensely for him. Before Yoruichi, she could've easily said that there was no one else in her life nearly as important. "I wanna spend time with you, and..."

"Soi, this is an order from your father," he said sternly even as his eyes held a bit of the teasing sparkle she'd grown up familiar with, "...You've given me enough. Now go be with your friends." The freshman opened her mouth, then closed it again knowing it would be futile. In spite of herself she gave him a grateful hug before running upstairs to grab Yoruichi's present.

* * *

The group was rolling on the ground by the time Kuukaku had slurred her way through the second verse of "Like A Virgin" (more because it was quite the ironic song for the promiscuous teen, though the sake could have been partly to blame), and though Yoruichi giggled with all of them she was quickly getting bored. She glanced at her watch, feeling her good humor vanish as it flashed 8:53 at her in an almost taunting way. Feeling her hunger get the best of her she headed upstairs, past a surprisingly wasted Kisuke who was struggling to keep from falling asleep and mumbling something about cookies.

Yoruichi wasn't sure why Soi not showing up bothered her so much. It was true that she had known about her plans with her father and that getting to spend time with her in a situation like this probably wasn't the freshman's idea of fun, but even so it felt like something was holding her back from having a good time at an event that normally made her immensely happy. She'd laughed with all of them, had gotten to spend time with people she'd known far longer, but it just felt odd without the Chinese girl's fussbudget, almost maternal manner when it came to such unbecoming activities. It nearly made her laugh right there, just the thought of Soi's flustered expression, complaining that all of them were adults and should behave better.

_She's so much like Kisuke when he was younger,_ Yoruichi thought fondly. _But at the same time..._

The upperclassman wasn't sure when she had wandered over to the window, breathing idly on the window and watching it fog up. She was in the middle of drawing an abstract picture when she noticed a familiar head of dark hair hidden below a woolen skullcap, an unmistakably skinny frame puffed out by a heavily padded coat, standing indecisively before the house in already ankle-deep snow. Something about Soi's posture seemed to say that she was seriously considering turning around, about leaving before she even arrived. Without the slightest bit of hesitation Yoruichi ran for her closet, grabbed her coat and gloves, then nearly headed out before remembering the small package stowed near the trunk of the illuminated tree.

* * *

Soi shivered in the cold even through her coat, wishing more than anything that she'd gotten a new one this year. she held the package in her hand, but even though she'd come all this way and was probably destined to be sick tomorrow she still couldn't bring herself to give it to Yoruichi. It was such a meager, pathetic excuse for a gift. She deserved so much better than this.

She was about to drop the gift in the snow and run home when the last and first voice she wanted to hear sounded behind her.

"Hey, you!" The freshman turned around, cautiously, to find Yoruichi standing in the snow a few feet away, clad against the weather in a heavy peacoat and knee-high boots lined with faux fur, smiling brightly as if she really was happy to see her. Her face was already red from the chill, but other than that she seemed perfectly normal, the carefree girl she had known and silently adored for half a year. "I gotta admit, I didn't think you were coming for a while!"

"I-I'm sorry, Yoruichi-san," Soi muttered to the snow beneath her feet, her face the color of a cherry in less time than normal. "I-I-I was--"

"God, you're ALWAYS apologizing! I swear, you could've at least called and TOLD me you'd be late!" Soi cringed in shame on reflex, but to her surprise Yoruichi's tone was far from reprimanding, and she rubbed a gloved hand on Soi's wool-covered head.

It amazed Yoruichi that no matter what Soi did she could never feel upset with her, and even though she should have been immensely angry with anyone else all she could do was keep smiling.

"H-h-happy Birthday, Yoruichi-san...a-and Merry Christmas!" Soi whispered as she instictively thrust the package out in front of her, knowing it was too late to back out now.

"Ah, so you'd rather do this out here? I was gonna invite you inside and give you some cake..." Yoruichi said wistfully as she accepted the gift, taking off the wrapping carefully until she found its contents.

"I...I know it's bad, but it was all I could afford and I really did try to find something ni--"

"Soi, it's adorable!"

"...Huh?" Soi looked up, more from confusion than actual pride, to find Yoruichi holding the scarf covered with interwoven pictures of cats, looking at it fondly. "R-really?"

"...Really," Yoruichi said earnestly as she quickly began wrapping the garment around her neck, feeling a warmth flow into her that had nothing to do with the scarf. Soi blushed again at the smile she recieved, thankful that she could at least blame it against the cold if it came to that. "Oh," Yoruichi said out of the blue as she dug briefly in her pocket, pulling out a small box no bigger than her palm. "Merry Christmas, Soi. Be careful, you don't wanna lose this again." The freshman cocked an eyebrow, wondering what she had meant until she pulled off the lid and nearly dropped the box in shock.

Inside, glittering like new, was the ruby necklace, as beautiful as it had been when Soi had first seen her mother put it on so long ago. It was obvious that a few of the diamonds had been lost from the scuffle with the would-be rapists, but they had been flawlessly replaced, and the silver was almost blinding in the low light of the nearby streetlamp.

"H..." Soi gasped, her brain struggling to find words, "...How did you..."

"Well...Let's just say that I was looking for a while," Yoruichi joked as if combing the street at night for a tiny piece of jewelry was no big deal. "...I know how much it meant to you and I'm sorry I didn't get it back to you sooner, but the jeweler had it forever...and I didn't think you'd wanna see it the way I found it."

Soi tried again to think of something to say, but words simply couldn't do justice to the wave of relief, of wholeness she felt having the last piece of her mother safely back in her hands, or the boundless gratitude she felt at this moment for Yoruichi. She couldn't believe that she'd ever thought for a minute that she was bad, that there wasn't a shred of goodness in her. Even if the world turned against her again, Soi knew she wouldn't hesitate to defend her.

"...Well, is it okay? I know it's not exactly your mom's anymore, but--"

"Yoruichi-san..." The quiet tone of the petite girl's voice cut through the stillness of the evening, threw off the upperclassman's carefree equilibrium. Yoruichi looked at her friend intently, who was between looking her in the eye and glancing off at the nearest house to Yoruichi's.

"What?"

"...It's nothing," Soi whispered, her shoulders drooping as she began to leave. She couldn't do it, not even if the feelings she had for Yoruichi had suddenly become overwhelming, her heart beating dangerously fast as she struggled to maintain the self-control she'd kept all her life and was just now threatening to overpower her. "Merry Christmas..."

"Come on, Soi," Yoruichi insisted with an intrigued grin, grabbing her friend by the shoulder and turning her around, though the Chinese girl was still looking everywhere but at her. "You can't just get all serious like that and then expect me to--" In that instant Soi's eyes finally met hers, and the intensity of those silver orbs took away her easygoing manner as if it had never been there. For a moment both stood still in the cold snow, held by the other's gazes, before Yoruichi opened her mouth to speak.

As if afraid she would lose her nerve, Soi grabbed the older girl's shoulders and, rasing herself slightly on her toes, clamped her eyes shut and placed her lips on Yoruichi's.

It felt like an eternity before she slowly retreated, lids reluctantly opening as she tried to force herself back to cognizance and out of the warmth she'd been dreaming about since a warm summer night months ago that only she remembered. All at once it hit her.

She'd kissed Yoruichi. Lost control. It wasn't anything as simple as a slip of the tongue or an admission that she could brush off. There wasn't going to be any turning back. As if hoping against hope she slowly looked up.

It was worse than she thought. Yoruichi didn't appear to be happy, or angry, or even annoyed. She was just staring down at her, expression perfectly blank, almost like she hadn't seen Soi properly until just now. As if she'd committed an unforgivable act the freshman pulled her hands away from their hold on Yoruichi's shoulders, took a step backwards, then stared at the ground as she did the only thing that came to mind and ran home at full speed.

She didn't know that Yoruichi had watched her, paralyzed, until she became a speck in the distance, or see the slight deepening of red on the upperclassman's face as she absentmindedly brushed a finger over her lips where Soi's had been just a moment ago.


	35. Apology

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 35: Apology

"...There she is! Hey, Yoruichi-- don'tcha have any more karaoke CDs?"

The girl in question blinked, suddenly aware that she was no longer ankle deep in the snow, watching Soi disappear into the cold night; instead Yoruichi had somehow trudged back inside and had shed her damp coat on the staircase railing, her feet already halfway up to her bedroom.

"...Huh?" Yoruichi half-mumbled, staring at a rather disheveled but not-quite-drunk Kuukaku who was trailed by Kisuke, apparently more interested in the remaining piece of cheesecake than singing. What were they doing here? When had she let them inside?

"You know, CDs! If I don't find some more quick than Rangiku's gonna beat me to the rest of the sake!"

_Sake...present...Oh, right,_ Yoruichi suddenly realized, still feeling a bit numb. They were here for the party. Her party. She was ashamed to admit it, but she'd completely forgotten.

"Uh...there should be some more in the...the third drawer on the right of the TV cabinet..." she answered slowly, her mind already wandering again.

"Ah! I didn't even think to check there-- thanks!" Kuukaku said with a grin, taking off back to the basement at full speed. Yoruichi watched her go, or rather stared at a dot on the wall in her direction for a moment before continuing her vertical march.

"...Aren't you gonna come downstairs? You haven't sung at all yet, and I think Shunsui's about to put us through hell for the fifth time tonight," Kisuke asked in mock horror as he finished the dessert.

"...No, I'm...I'm gonna go to bed...tell everyone they can stay the night, okay?" Kisuke caught the strange aura his friend was creating, but after a few moments of silence nodded and watched her disappear behind a low wall.

* * *

Yoruichi ran a finger over her lips again, this time almost hesitantly. It didn't make any sense-- she could easily slip away from even the fastest strikes of her Karate opponents, could outrun anybody. Without any real vanity she could easily say that there was no one she'd met who was faster than her. And yet when Soi had...kissed her...she couldn't move. Not only that, but she had done it so lightly that Yoruichi wondered if it had really happened. It was strange for her to recieve such a gentle display of affection, especially since every kiss she'd ever taken part in was more an act of blind lust than anything else. 

"...Soi..." she whispered, surprised at the small bubble of apprehension that formed in her stomach at the thought of her friend but that disappeared just as quickly. So this explained it, the freshman's behavior for the past few months. Her first instinct was to dismiss it as just one of the many crushes she was the subject of, but the more she replayed the incident in her mind, the less it felt like something so ordinary.

_...Why couldn't I move?_

Yoruichi shook her head violently and shifted herself under the covers, trying to force herself asleep. Part of her didn't want to think about it now, and after a while she drifted uneasily into slumber.

She woke up three times that night, convinced each time that Soi was patiently waiting for her at the foot of her bed.

* * *

The freshman groaned aloud as she clutched her forehead, as if doing so could erase what she'd done. 

"Goddamnit! How could I be so STUPID?!" The drafty room surrounding Soi Fong didn't answer, but she got the impression that if the walls could speak they would undoubtedly be taunting her. Giving a sigh of defeat, she plopped onto her bed, staring listlessly at the ceiling until her restless right hand traveled into her pocket and found her gift. Soi held it up, watching the necklace sparkle in the streetlight drifting through the window.

She could argue that she should have known better than to lose control like that, but...at that moment, just seeing her mother's necklace again, recieving such a wonderful gift from Yoruichi...it had been too much.

_She must hate me,_ Soi thought glumly as she set the jewelry on her bedstand. She'd never really meant to reveal her feelings to the upperclassman at all; her plan had been to just keep it all buried down. It would've only made her miserable to watch Yoruichi eventually leave her, get married, start a life in which she had no part, but at least she would've been able to share that time with her. Now she'd ruined their friendship, even though friendship was the last thing she wanted from Yoruichi anymore. Before Soi could continue her train of thought she broke the silence of the room with a loud sneeze, and upon comprehending its significance cursed herself for staying outside for a whole hour.

* * *

Sniffles, accompanied by the occasional sneeze, filled Soi's bedroom the next morning, and as the freshman tried to pull the covers closer around her neck to seal in the diminishing warmth she listened intently for the nearby telephone. Deciding that it was better than getting up and running all the way downstairs whenever it rung, she'd grabbed the device along with a bowl of hot soup and salt crackers, along with her latest book, the only weapon against the encroaching boredom. Since, however, the narrative for this one happened to be quite dull as it was, her eyes kept wandering to the phone. 

She had no reason to think that Yoruichi would call her but wasn't sure if she should initiate the contact herself. She needed to talk to the senior, work all this out. With any luck, she might be able to salvage their friendship, forget about what had happened yesterday.

_...Do I really want to do that,_ Soi wondered as she reached towards the reciever and hesitated halfway. But then, it wasn't about what SHE wanted, Soi thought glumly. In spite of the fact that the older girl had such a delinquent nature she was still so much better than her, so much more deserving of someone else. With her last ounce of self-determination she picked up the phone and dialed her friend's number.

"...Hello?" The cheerful voice on the opposite end of the line nearly made Soi hang up right there, reminding her instantly of how strong a hold Yoruichi had on her. The freshman said nothing for a moment, and when Yoruichi began asking if anyone was there she finally answered.

"H-hi, Yoruichi-san."

Just as she feared. Silence. For a moment Soi thought the line must have been disconnected, but then the other girl responded.

"...Hey, Soi." The freshman could feel the tension building in the quiet that followed, but couldn't think of anything to say, of a way to break the ice.

Then she sneezed. Three times straight, and by the time she recovered she caught the slightest of chuckles on Yoruichi's end of the phone.

"You got sick?" Yoruichi asked, the giddiness returned to her voice and Soi unaware of its artificiality.

"Y...Yeah, just a little cold. Probably cause of...all the snow lately..."

"...Well, I hope you feel better." Soi's breath caught in her chest. She didn't think Yoruichi would end the conversation this quickly, and with no real options for the response she had intended.

"Okay...Bye, Yoruichi-san."

"Later," the older girl replied moments before hanging up, leaving Soi to listen to the dull hum of the dial tone.

* * *

About an hour later, Soi was trying to rest, still turning the conversation over in her head and wondering what she'd done wrong when the doorbell rang far below. She had every intention of just ignoring it, especiallys since only salesman and the mailman came around this time of day, but when it kept tolling Soi groaned, forcing her tired muscles to lift her up out of bed, grabbing her comforter and wrapping it around her shoulders like a cape in a flimsy resistance to the cold. The chime grew louder as she descended the steps, her impatience growing with every step the girl took. 

"Look, my father's not in," Soi called as she turned the lock and pulled the door open, "...so you can just wait until later toni-- Yoruichi-san!"

"...Mind if I come in?" Yoruichi asked with a smile, though it was just a bit forced. Her younger friend gave a slight nod in the affirmative, stepping aside so that the upperclassman could shed her peacoat, brushing the snow out of her hair with a shake not unlike a wet cat. Soi felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Yoruichi remove the scarf she'd given her but quickly looked away, deciding not to risk bringing the subject up. Yoruichi glanced in her friend's direction, stifling a grin at seeing her wrapped up in a blanket, aware that her eyes had lingered for a bit longer than the humor had lasted.

"...Here," the older girl said evenly, holding up a bag marked with the trademark of a nearby pharmacy. "I thought you could use some things."

"T-thanks," Soi answered, catching a brief glimpse of the items in the bag, silently grateful as she'd just run out of cold medicine.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Just returning the favor, is all." Something about the way she'd said it, so passively as if the act held no real meaning to her, stung at Soi a little, but as far as she was concerned she was just lucky that Yoruichi was still talking to her. Soi wanted to ask her to have a seat, and though Yoruichi looked almost antsy to leave she wanted to say too, needed to speak. They stood there for a moment until Soi's instincts got the better of her.

"...Do you want some hot tea, or water or something?"

"No, I can't stay long. Kisuke's got the car running outside." Yoruichi paused once she'd spoken, wondering if she could say what was on her mind right now. She felt so tense in Soi's presence all of a sudden, a strange sort of weight on her chest that didn't make her suffer but had the discomfort of being unfamiliar, which in turn made her more uncomfortable. This wasn't like her to hesitate, the cocoa-skinned teen decided, so she decided to bite the bullet and began to speak.

"...Listen Soi, about yesterday..."

"I'm really sorry!"

Yoruichi blinked, frozen in mid-sentence by her friend's words. She turned to look at Soi, who was staring at the ground in an apologetic half-bow. Before she could process what the freshman had just said, or so much as respond, she had continued, never taking her eyes off that particular floorboard she was looking at.

"...I...I didn't mean to do it, I swear! It's just... when I saw Mom's necklace again, I didn't know how to say 'thank you,' so I just..." Soi swallowed, eyes shut tight, hating herself for lying but knowing that it was probably the only way to keep Yoruichi's friendship. Her last words came out after a moment, in a barely audible whisper. "...Please don't hate me, Yoruichi-san."

The older girl just stared at the top of Soi's head, a mixture of relief and disappointment stirring uncomfortably in the back of her mind. This was what she had wanted, after all; a chance to keep things the way they were, but hearing Soi tell her that kiss had been a mistake made something in the pit of her stomach turn, as if it was the insistence that something she instinctively knew to be true was not so. This whole situation made her feel off-balance, but for all her misgivings she only smiled and placed a hand gently on Soi's shoulder, prompting her to look up again. It was the most contact she dared to risk, but why she didn't know.

"...Of course not, Soi! Don't worry about it-- water under the bridge and all that." It took the freshman's worried face a moment to light up, a relieved smile on her face that held Yoruichi's gaze in spite of herself.

"S-so... We're still friends, right?" Soi asked eagerly, and though the older of the two half-wanted to take back what she'd said she simply forced herself to keep smiling.

"Yeah... We're still friends."

A/N: Well, I'm back. Don't worry, more updates to come soon, now that I'm back at school.


	36. Birthday

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 36: Birthday

The next few weeks passed without incident. Soi got over her sickness fairly quickly even without Yoruichi's help, though the older girl occasionally called to make sure her friend wanted for nothing. Conversations passed easily, though they bore an almost forced degree of pleasantness, and soon enough school had started again. Soi never bothered to ask, but it seemed as though Yoruichi's schedule for this semester seemed even busier, as if she was avoiding her, but decided not to bring it up on the rare occasions that they were in each other's company.

February 11th happened to be one of those days. Her morning classes over, Soi Fong had taken her lunch to the roof, half-hoping that the upperclassman would be there already, even if she was with Kisuke or Kuukaku. No one present, the freshman gave the slightest grimace of disappointment before sitting on the chill concrete below her feet, wishing she'd had the foresight to wear her coat but not cold enough to remedy the situation. She smiled as she unwrapped the hastily-made bento her father had insisted on packing for her today, taking out small card and silently thanking him for never once forgetting no matter how busy he was.

"Hey, kid! Wat'cha up to?" At the sound of Kuukaku's voice Soi instinctively stuffed the note back into her lunchbox; since the lid had partly concealed it she hoped that the upperclassman hadn't noticed. Looking up to see her accompanied by Yoruichi, who flashed the most benign of grins before sitting on her opposite side, made her doubly hopeful.

"H-hi Kuukaku...Yoruichi-san..." The dark-skinned woman gave a grunt of acknowledgement before immediately digging into her meal; Soi caught the slightest flash of seaweed-wrapped sushi before her friend swallowed it in a single gulp.

"Geez, how come I never get spoken to with respect like that?" Kuukaku complained aloud, seemingly to no one. "...It's like everyone just thinks I don't deserve it!"

"...You don't," Yoruichi quipped out of nowhere; not even the uneasiness between her and Soi Fong had damaged her razor-sharp instincts when it came to sarcasm.

"Oh, is that it? An' I suppose you're a regular sain--"

"What's that?"

Soi felt her eyes widen when she realized what Yoruichi had asked about, aware that when she'd reopened her lunch she'd forgotten to shift the note to the side, out of plain sight where it now sat.

"N-nothing--Hey!" the freshman protested as the curious Yoruichi snatched the note with lightening speed, grinning mischeivously as she turned the paper over to read it. Her smile dropped in less than a second when she realized what it said, written hastily in a rather cramped handwriting.

_Happy birthday to my 'Little Bee.' Sorry to let you know like this, but I had to cancel our plans for tonight. Will make it up to you later! - Love, Dad_

She hadn't finished a second before Soi grabbed it back from her, folding it into her pocket and gathering her things quickly to leave. The freshman had nearly reached the door when Yoruichi stopped her with another question.

"...Today's your birthday?"

"Yeah..." Soi answered quietly, as if ashamed of the fact.

"What?! Why didn't you tell us?!" the eldest Shiba asked with a bewildered expression. "We coulda put together a party for ya or somethin'!"

"...It's not that big a deal-- it's just like any other day."

"Oh, come on," Yoruichi finally spoke up, brow furrowed slightly in annoyance. "Of course it's important! I can pretty easily say that you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your birthday!" At that Soi's stoic expression cracked slightly, and the faintest of smiles flickered across her lips at the jest. Yoruichi felt herself smile back, relieved that she'd stopped her friend's attempt at running out for now. "So...what's this business about 'plans with your dad?'"

"Not much. It's just that he takes me out to dinner on my birthday every year, but he's working late tonight on this case of his and he can't get away, so..." She trailed off and gave a nonchalant shrug, but there was something in Soi's attitude that gave away her disappointment. Before she could say anything, Kuukaku beat her to the punch.

"Hey! Why don't we all go out for your birthday? You know-- make it a girl's night out."

"...Oh no, it's no big deal..."

"Come on, Soi," Yoruichi interjected, enthusiastic at the chance to reassert her friendship with the younger girl, "...It's our treat! I think that's the LEAST you should let us do for acting like we weren't allowed to find out." Soi didn't answer right away, but in spite of her response the unexpected realization that she'd be having a birthday party betrayed itself by the hint of red on her cheeks.

"...I guess if you want to..."

* * *

Hours later Yoruichi stood in front of her bathroom mirror, suddenly wondering if she was getting overdressed. Her rather limited supply of cosmetics lay scattered and open on the finished marble counter, and while the upperclassman was heating the ends of her ponytail in a curler she considered a pair of outfits she'd narrowed her selection down to. At this point it had come down to a casual dress skirt paired with a matching black v-neck and denim jacket or a jet-black ribbed turtleneck and stone-washed blue jeans. It was a decision she'd have made in less than a second any other time she went out, but the fact that it was for Soi had made her a bit more careful. She'd made a rule when it came to dressing up: anything that revealed cleavage was for a date, anything more conservative was for friends. Why she was even struggling with this decision made no sense to her, but even so her hand strayed toward the more provocative of the two. 

_What am I doing,_ Yoruichi wondered as she caught herself again, and released the holder of the curler to let her hair fall. _It's not even like I'm gonna be alone with Soi. It's just dinner and dancing at a nightclub. Besides, Kuukaku's gonna be there too._

"I say go with the v-neck."

Yoruichi jumped, turned at the sound of her best friend's voice, casually drifting through the other side of the wide-open door, surprise turning quickly to frustration.

"Goddamnit Kisuke, would it kill you to knock for once?"

"I dunno. Maybe if you made an effort to lock the front door more often..." the blonde teased from the other side of the outside wall, taking the slightest of glances in before looking away. Yoruichi never bothered to wear a bra most of the time and though she didn't seem to care if anyone saw her, it was more of a personal effort of self-control on Kisuke's part to avoid staring. "...Anyway, I put the keys on the kitchen table. You just needed the car for tonight, right?"

"Yeah, thanks. Are you sure you don't need me to give you a ride back home?"

"Nah, it's no big deal. A guy I know from work lives nearby; he said it'd be fine." Yoruichi gave a slight grunt of comprehension before going about brushing her teeth for the third time, and it was moments before she finished that Kisuke caught a familiar scent coming from the bathroom. "...Rose perfume?" He heard the sound of choking on toothpaste, followed by the rapid activation of the faucet and the sound of post-gargling gasps for breath.

"S-so what?" Yoruichi growled once she'd recovered. "...I like this stuff."

"We both know the only time you ever wear that is when you go on a date."

"It's NOT a date! Me and KUUKAKU are taking Soi out for her birthday, that's it!"

"Oh. Well if that's the case, forgive me for making such an assumption," Urahara said simply. While Yoruichi was glad he'd dropped the subject, the way he spoke bothered her, as if he knew something she didn't. She put her toothbrush back in the porcelin mug by the mirror just as the phone in the next-door bedroom rung. Yoruichi picked it up, smiling when she heard Kuukaku on the line.

"Hey! Sorry, I'm just getting dressed and then I'll pick you up, okay?"

"...Yoruichi, I can't come." The bronzed teen felt her face drop at the other girl's words, brain instantly struggling to find a way around the situation.

"W-what do you mean? This was your idea-- I thought you were open tonight!"

"I was, but...something came up, and I'm busy. You can take her, right? I told you the directions, so..."

"...Wait a minute!" Yoruichi hollered, suspicion at her friend's flimsy excuse catching up to her. "Just tell me why you can't make i--" she caught the quickest utterance of 'bye' she'd ever heard before Kuukaku hung up, leaving the dial tone to hum in Yoruichi's ear.

"...Who was that?" Urahara called once he heard footsteps moving back into the bathroom.

"...Kuukaku ditched on me," Yoruichi grumbled, biting her lip slightly as the realization she'd be alone with Soi for the whole evening hit her. She could call the freshman. Tell her they'd reschedule; it wasn't like Soi would verbally protest. But at the same time she knew she couldn't do that-- she could tell Soi was happy at the very notion of celebrating with her friends. Well...friend. Just a friend.

"...So is it a date now?"

In a rare instance, Yoruichi had no response to her friend's incessant teasing. Instead she hastily grabbed the turtleneck and jeans, unslipping the pants from their hangar.

_Definitely this one,_ she told herself as her field of vision was obscured by black cotton.


	37. Ambivalence

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 37: Ambivalence

"Is it okay if I change the station?"

Yoruichi instinctively looked away from the road at Soi's unexpected question, instantly remembering why she had been so focused on her driving in the first place. Her eyes lingered on the girl beside her for only a moment before answering, then turned back to the task at hand.

"Uh...sure. Not my car, anyway." Soi relinquished the smallest of chuckles before leaning forward, intensely focused on the 'scan' button. Yoruichi smiled to herself-- it was amazing how quickly the space between them had filled with tension when she'd told Soi that Kuukaku wouldn't be coming, but it seemed that perhaps she'd been imagining it in the first place. It didn't stop her from frowning slightly when the freshman leaned back in her seat and resumed gazing out the side window, but then she caught herself WANTING Soi to look at her and dismissed the notion quickly. It took Yoruichi a moment to realize what Soi had put on; she'd half expected her companion to just switch to the next pop music channel, not the slow tempo of a base guitar accompanied by the clamorous melody of a brass trombone that now filled the cabin.

"...I didn't know you were into Blues, Soi."

"Well, a little bit..." the girl admitted sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck, the sleeve of her navy windbreaker sliding easily down her scrawny wrist. "...If you want to change it back, then--"

"No," Yoruichi insisted, grinning once she realized she'd begun tapping on the steering wheel in time with the music. "It just kinda surprised me, is all."

"...Yoruichi-san?"

"Hmm?" the senior muttered, glancing around the the opposite sides of the street as she came to a four-way stop.

"...I-I really like what you're wearing." Soi was so busy scolding herself for such a pathetic-sounding compliment that she didn't notice her friend tense slightly, or the slight blush on her face that was hidden as she double-checked the right side of the intersection. Yoruichi was still facing the opposite direction when she muttered a quick 'you too,' not daring to look at Soi's spaghetti-strap top again, at the same time telling herself that she'd seen outfits far more obscene, tops cut far below the rather conservative neckline the freshman was sporting.

In spite of what logic insisted as she drove, seeing _Soi_ in something like that certainly didn't elicit a normal reaction.

* * *

"Shihouin-- your table's ready!" 

At the waitresses' call Soi followed her friend through the crowd still waiting to be seated, sticking as close as she could to avoid getting lost. The Homounka had gained notoriety among frequent visitors as a bit of a dive, and with the low crimson lights, thin layer of smoke hanging to the ceiling and constant hum of low-key conversation Soi immediately understood why. It probably would have gone out of business long ago were it not for the food, which apparently had the reputation of being easily five-star quality without the stifling atmosphere normally accompanying such establishments; this in turn created demand for a wide dance floor as it became a popular weekend spot, and the eclectic variety of live music ensured the patronage of a wide range of Friday-night thrill seekers.

"...So, you like it?" Yoruichi asked with a grin once the waitress had left with their dinner order.

"What?" the freshman called back, cupping her hand to her ear to understand the older girl over the ruckus.

"DO YOU LIKE THE PLACE?"

"OH! UH... IT'S OKAY..."

"Soi, you're a terrible liar," Yoruichi teased as she began fidgeting with the simple glass pepper- shaker on the table. "... I thought this could be a learning experience for you-- you know, stepping outside your comfort zone and all that." Soi blushed at the unintended double-meaning those words had to her ears, but gave an admissive nod regardless. It was true that she did feel a little strange in a rowdy location such as this, but somehow knowing that Yoruichi was there made her feel a bit safer. She glanced out at the dance floor, not so much watching the fevered activity as passively observing, but Yoruichi nonetheless saw her doing so and grinned.

"Wanna dance?" Soi instantly turned back to her with a shocked expression, but managed to quickly (if poorly) mask it with mild indifference. Yoruichi almost regretted what she'd said, knowing that she was ignoring the little voice in her head that told her she was treading on thin ice, but the innocent look on Soi's face banished it from her mind.

"S-sure," the freshman answered as evenly as she could.

* * *

The patriarch of the Fong family smiled as he scribbled his last notes on the margins of the deposition, hardly able to believe his luck. Unless his bosses set the chipped clock on the far wall behind to get an extra hour out of their employees, he'd finished at least two hours earlier then expected. He gave an exhausted sigh before picking up the nearby phone, quickly dialing his home phone number. 

"Soi-chan," he announced once the answering machine picked up his call, "...I finished early, so we can go to dinner after all! I'm leaving right now, so get changed quick and think about where you want to go, okay? I'll see you soon!" Upon setting the reciever back on its hook he grabbed his coat, the grin lighting up his features not fading in the slightest. He gave a distracted wave 'farewell' to the inattentive secretary cheating on the day's crossword, then pulled up his coat as he stepped into the drafty covered-parking garage.

_Half an hour,_ he thought quietly. _I hope she'll be ready by then._

* * *

Yoruichi resisted the urge to laugh out loud as her friend bumped into yet another irritable dancer, immediately struggling to apologize over the noise that passed for dance music. 

"Soi," the senior asked with a grin, "...Are you even TRYING to follow the rhythm?"

"It's kinda hard to do that when you don't have any room to move," Soi grumbled just loud enough that Yoruichi could hear her.

"Look, it's really not that hard-- just try swaying to the beat. That's basically all there is to it." The upperclassman had begun a rather metronomic sort of shifting while she was talking, her movements growing livelier as the music got to her; a primal and repetitive beat. Soi wanted to excuse herself, but as she watched Yoruichi's demonstration she decided that she might as well try, and before she knew it her shoulders were bobbing in time with the chorus, arms ebbing and flowing before her, eyes shut as she concentrated. The older of the two watched gleefully, partly from pride that her friend was enjoying herself while something else in her simply refused to look elsewhere. It was true Soi looked just a bit ridiculous, very much out of her element, but still...

Yoruichi caught her train of thought in place again, and decided that it was safer to simply smile.

"...All right, our next request is comin' up, so get ready..." the DJ called over the microphone, and to the displeasure of just about everyone on the dance floor the music slowed dramatically, followed by the shift from technicolor lights to a fuzzy blue haze. Yoruichi's smile dropped almost in time with Soi's as the majority of the buzzed-out crowd drifted away, leaving only a handful of couples and a few drifters on the scuffed tile floor.

Yoruichi felt herself glance at the nearest blissful pair, then at her friend, who seemed equally apprehensive. She knew it looked worse to be standing so close to Soi and looking abivalent, but she wasn't sure how the freshman would take it if she DID dance with her on THIS particular song. It was strange for her to feel self-conscious at all but the senior could almost swear the eyes of everyone else were on the pair of them, as if expecting them to do something.

"Yoruichi-san--"

"Sure," the older girl muttered distractedly as her hands moved automatically to Soi's waist, mentally punching herself when she realized that she wasn't looking the surprised freshman in the eye. "...But it's just because you could use the practice, and..."

"Um...our dinner's here."

Yoruichi blinked, felt her eyes flit over to their nearby table where, in fact, their order sat waiting for them, steam barely visible in the low illumination.

"...Oh. Yeah," the dark-skinned girl said quietly, jerking her hands back in the process. "Let's go eat." She immediately marched over to the booth, leaving Soi to wonder confusedly what had just happened.


	38. Happenstance

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 38: Happenstance

Yoruichi was somewhat grateful (and almost frustrated) that the music never dropped below a fever pitch for the rest of the night. Soi appeared to have forgotten the awkwardness however, or she was too busy having a good time to care. It was nearly 11:00 before they finally left, stumbling slightly from mirth and the rapidly fading high of dancing.

"God-- You were right, Soi."

"Huh?" the freshman muttered, distracted from moving to the tune running on loop in her head. "...What do you mean?"

"...You CAN'T dance at all." She flashed a teasing grin at the smaller girl, surprised when Soi failed to blush in shame and instead fired back, deadpan expression making it clear that she wasn't offended.

"Oh come on, Yoruichi-san-- I thought I did pretty well for my first time."

"Yeah, I guess only YOU would think that this--" Yoruichi paused and began jerking erratically to an imaginary rhythm in a crude imitation of her friend, which nonetheless made Soi struggle to hold back her laughter, "...made for good moves."

"O-okay, okay, give me a break..." Soi replied, wiping a tear away from her eyes as she finally broke into a fit of giggling.

"See? Even YOU think you suck!" the senior teased as she automatically threw an arm around Soi's neck, pulling her into a friendly (if still painful) headlock. She didn't realize until a moment later just how close she was to the girl, but her first instinct to move was stifled when she realized it would look strange for her to recoil without warning. She let go soon enough, her friend still smiling happily from the afterglow of their outing, not a word spoken until they'd reached the car. It occured to Yoruichi as she watched Soi get inside the vehicle that SHE was still smiling too, that for all Soi's ineptitude at dancing it didn't seem like she'd ever been this happy in a social setting with another person before. But then, Soi wasn't like anyone else she'd met, and certainly not like anyone she'd dated in her life. Being with her felt like something different altogether.

* * *

"...So... you're fifteen now, huh?"

Soi turned from the window, aware of how much the ride back felt like the first as she did so. She could tell that Yoruichi was trying to start a conversation, anything at all to fill up the silence that consumed the small cabin of the sedan, but she responded nonetheless.

"Yeah..."

"...Feel any different?"

"Not much," Soi answered even though she knew it was a lie. Everything felt strange, felt new, felt different now. She'd never had any real, lasting friends before last year, never had a real birthday party before last year. Had never been in love before last year. Had never been so close and so far from someone she cared for so deeply that she felt like her heart was constantly being squeezed to death.

"Well, that's how it goes when you get older," Yoruichi replied wistfully. "You just kinda stop looking forward to adding another year to the total." The older girl let out a sigh as the yellow light she was trying to beat turned red, forcing her to bring the car to a halt. Minutes later she was ready to begin complaining about the unending string of traffic ahead of them when Soi spoke up.

"...Thank you, Yoruichi-san."

Yoruichi said nothing as she made eye contact with Soi, though in truth she didn't trust herself to speak. She cast a glance back at the light to make sure it was still red, but her eyes immediately wandered back to the girl beside her, refusing to move again. Suddenly she catches a hint of movement-- Soi begins to lean towards her, eyes barely discernable in the low light but bearing something familiar nontheless. Yoruichi opened her mouth in silent protest, felt her knuckles tense as she put the steering wheel in a death grip.

_Just do it,_ something in her implored, and as quick as it had come she shook it away.

_Stop it. You're stronger than this,_ she repeated to herself. But even so Yoruichi felt her body go numb just like last time, felt her eyes start to slide shut as the girl got closer, the screaming voice of protest in her head gradually being silenced by a gentle urging forward. In reality, Soi had only closed the distance slightly when the car behind them let out a string of loud honks, snapping both driver and passenger out of their daze. Yoruichi said nothing as she immediately put the car back in gear, and Soi continued her silent vigil of the passenger-seat window.

"...Happy Birthday, Soi," Yoruichi said once the awkwardness had worn off a bit, and Soi gave a listless sort of affirmation. This was too hard for her, just being this close. She was a fool to have thought that she could keep this hidden forever. She had to get away from Yoruichi as soon as she could.

* * *

"...What the..?" Yoruichi queried once the car turned onto Soi's street, met with the flashing of police lights on a solitary car waiting outside a darkened home. "Soi, is that YOUR house?" Yoruichi asked in disbelief. The freshman only stared, fear immediately taking root in the pit of her stomach; she began breathing slowly but quietly in the hopes that her paranoia was unfounded. When Yoruichi came to a stop behind the police car she knew that she wasn't just imagining things.

"...Do you live here?" the crew-cut officer asked once Soi stepped out of the car, Yoruichi watching silently from the driver's seat. "If not, I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Y-yes, I do! What's going on?"

"Am I correct in assuming, then, that you're Zhou Fong's daughter?" Soi almost wanted to hit the uniformed man for asking such an obvious question, but she subdued the urge and nodded. "...In that case, I'll need you to follow me. We've been trying to contact next-of-kin for the last half-hour and no one's been answering at your hou--"

"Will you PLEASE just tell me what's happening?!" The officer didn't show any sign of shock at the girl's sudden outburst; he simply waited for her to calm before he answered.

"Miss Fong, your father was involved in a serious automobile accident a little over three hours ago. Now please, I'll need you to follow me to the hospital, ma'am." He got into his car without a word, not daring to look at the recipient of his ill news again.

"...Soi!" Yoruichi called once she'd watched the policeman return to his vehicle, then back out of the driveway as if waiting for something. "What's going on?" The girl said nothing, but the ashen tone of her already pale skin when she turned around told the upperclassman all she needed to know.


	39. Patience

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 39: Patience

Soi Fong hadn't said a word the whole time Yoruichi sped behind their police escort, and though she felt like now would have been the time for comforting words, the older girl declined to speak as well. When they finally reached the hospital's Emergency wing, the policeman handed Soi a small stack of papers and a pen set on a clipboard.

"As his only surviving next-of-kin, I'll need you to fill these out to the best of your ability," he explained as he sifted the legal forms through calloused fingers. Soi glanced at each document in turn, only offering the slightest of nods that she understood. Before long her feet had lead her to the ICU, Yoruichi standing a short distance apart and an indifferent receptionist clacking on her computer's keyboard before her.

"E-excuse me," Soi whispered, slightly surprised at hearing her own voice after her silence, "...I-I'd like to see Zhou Fong, please?"

"Hmm?" The shaggy-haired woman popped a strip of orange-flavored bubblegum into her mouth before continuing. "What's the name again?"

"...Z- His name is Zhou Fong," the freshman caught herself getting ready to scream at the receptionist, taking a deep breath even though her shaking hands betrayed her building dread. The woman at the computer sighed as she pulled her headphones out of her ears, then typed into the machine in front of her for a few minutes.

"...Sorry, he's in surgery right now. 'Should be out in an hour or so, though."

"Wait! How bad was he--" Soi tried to ask, but before she could finish the receptionist had already gone back to ignoring her. Forcing herself to breathe, Soi walked away from the desk, crossing the bustling hall to the nearby waiting room.

"Soi?" The girl blinked, glanced over to see the source of the familiar voice standing a few feet away; she'd completely forgotten Yoruichi was here. Yoruichi stood in place for a moment with something on the tip of her tongue, but then she simply placed a reassuring hand on the freshman's shoulder. "...I'm gonna call Kisuke, but I'll be back in a minute, okay?" Soi nodded, then sat down to concentrate on the stack of papers still in her hand.

* * *

By the time Yoruichi got back Soi was mostly finished. There was some forensic-investigations show blaring on the ceiling-mounted TV; acknowledging that no one was watching it she turned the machine off with a click.

"Hey, you want something to drink?"

"...No. I'm okay." The smile Yoruichi had put on in the hopes of lightening the mood fell at Soi's answer, and she sighed quietly as she put her handful of change into the nearby soda vendor. The eventual halt of a pen scratching on paper signaled the completion of Soi's task, and as the freshman set her clipboard down Yoruichi settled into a chair not far away from her.

"He's going to be fine." Soi looked at Yoruichi, surprised at the conviction in her words. "...I don't think he'd leave you like this, Soi. He's too good a man for that." Even though the older girl wasn't looking her directly in the eye, the Chinese girl did feel just a little less frightened.

"...Thank you."

A knock on the glass outside the waiting room made them both look up, and to Soi's mixed relief Urahara walked in, giving them a small wave for a greeting.

"Have you heard anything yet?"

"No," Yoruichi replied to his query. "...He should've been out of surgery at least half-an-hour ago."

"Hey-- you're the ones waitin' on 'Zhou Fong,' right?" the receptionist asked from the doorway, holding a clipboard in her hand and the same disinterested expression plastered on her over-madeup face. "He just got put in Room 339. East hallway."

* * *

"Well, isn't this a small world."

Yoruichi blinked in surprise as the school nurse stood outside the door to the elder Fong's room, smiling warmly at the youngest of them.

"Ms. Unohana?" Yoruichi asked with a puzzled look on her face. "...I didn't know you worked here."

"Just part time," the motherly woman said nonchalantly. "To be honest, I'm here as an intern-- made the mistake of not going for a Master's my first time through med school. But that's neither here nor there," she finished as she turned to Soi. "...He's in here, if you want to see him. I'm afraid he's resting though." The freshman nodded fervently, though the anxiety was still clearly written on her face. Yoruichi took a step forward only to be stopped by Unohana's arm and an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, but it's family only right now..."

"It's fine," Soi muttered. "...No one else will be coming anyway." Yoruichi's face fell at her friend's cold statement, but said nothing as she followed the girl inside, with Kisuke pulling up the rear.

Soi clutched the side of the hospital bed as she stared down at her father; other than his face he was practically indescernable below a thick mess of bandages, and in spite of that he was even sporting a few cuts over a patched right eye.

"...Is he--"

"Don't worry, Miss Fong," Unohana said with a smile. "...It actually looks a lot worse than it turned out to be. He's going to be just fine." At this Soi's death grip on the bedrail loosened, accompanied by a rather loud sigh of relief, and though Yoruichi wasn't nearly so obvious in expressing her satisfaction a small smile flitted on her lips nonetheless. "Still, he'll be here for a while before he'll be able to go home. Probably a week at most."

"Well, that's a relief," Kisuke said with a chuckle. "...When exactly did the accident happen?" The nurse furrowed her brow for a moment before coming up with an answer.

"The surgeon admitted him as soon as the ambulance got here around 8:00 P.M. I haven't looked through all the records yet, but it happened at 7:36. Someone called his place of employment and found out that he'd gotten off around 7:03. He kept mentioning his daughter's name all the way to anaesthesia." No one in the room noticed Soi flinch as something in her head clicked, the pieces falling into place as if they were right in front of her. But she said nothing as her friends kept conversing with Unohana, swallowed hard as she felt knowledge forming a knot in her stomach.

"Well, it's already late, Miss Fong," the nurse said regretfully as she brought Soi back to reality, "...I should really let you get home." The freshman wanted to protest, wanted to stay here for as long as it took for him to get better, but fatigue and her own guilt made her too weak to do anything but offer a compliant nod. "Oh, and if you could give me the forms you filled out I can take them to filing for you."

"Hey Soi-chan," Urahara asked with a hint of a worried look on his face, "...Are you gonna be okay on your own?"

"...I'll be fine, Urahara-san." Soi handed the papers to Unohana with a feeble 'thank you,' then followed the upperclassmen to the outer hall. "...I've got food and stuff at home."

"That's NOT what I mean and you know it," the blonde said seriously.

"It's no problem. I just need to get some sleep." Yoruichi glanced over at Soi, caught the bleak look in her eye that betrayed her distress. The idea of her stuck alone at home for God knows how long...it didn't sit right with the older girl at all.

"Soi..." At Yoruichi's interjection the freshman turned around, caught the pensive look on her face before she continued. "...You know, there's always my place."

"No, Yoruichi-san," Soi answered quickly. "I couldn't impose..."

"It'd be no such thing," Yoruichi insisted with a smile. "I've got too much room anyway." When Soi made no protest, Kisuke patted the younger of his companions on the head.

"It's settled then. On the way back, we'll stop by your house so you can get some clothes, all right?"

"...Okay."


	40. Surrender

The Cat and the Bee

Chapter 40: Surrender

"Remember, if either of you need something, just call. Okay?"

"Don't worry about us, Kisuke," Yoruichi assured her friend with a grin. "I'll take care of her." With that the blonde waved goodbye, and once he was gone she closed the front door and slid the lock with a click. The senior turned to find Soi's back to her, a duffel bag full of clothes still slung over her shoulder.

"Do you have all your stuff?" Soi flinched at the unexpected question, then turned to face her friend with her neutral expression still in place.

"...I think I've got everything." At once the uncomfortable silence saturated the room again, and in an effort to shake it off Yoruichi placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey, don't look so gloomy! Let's try to have fun while you're here, okay? We can try to get some movies tomorrow or something..."

"Sure." Soi began to walk across the deep carpet as she spoke, then was about to put her bag down when she hesitated. "Um..."

"There's an empty bedroom upstairs on the left," the older girl replied to the unspoken question with a bit of a chuckle. "And hey, there's a bathroom in there-- why don't you take a shower? I'm sure you could use one."

"...Okay," Soi answered, offering a feeble attempt at a smile that only made Yoruichi more worried. "...Thank you." The upperclassman wanted to say something more as she watched her friend ascend the staircase, but she decided instead to busy herself with finding a clean set of sheets. The upstairs bedroom hadn't been used in years, after all.

------------------------------------

Soi wrung the last bit of water out of her hair, carrying the silver hoops that normally hung at the end of her braids with the rest of her used clothing. Over her slightly damp skin was a large sleepshirt, and in her listlessness she'd decided to simply remain in her underwear instead of her normal attire of baggy flannel pants. She sat on the edge of the freshly made bed, comforted slightly by the feel of the cool sheets on her legs as she began folding her clothes up, then forming a pile on the floor near the bedstand, a small lamp casting warm light in the otherwise spartan environment. She didn't move when a light knock on the door announced Yoruichi's arrival.

"Hey! Are you feeling more comfortable?"

"...Yeah." Soi muttered, placing her spaghetti-strap on top of the dirty clothes, which Yoruichi took note of.

"You fold dirty clothes?" she teased, to which Soi did nothing.

"I just thought I'd save you some trouble. You don't need to worry; I can wash them tomorrow."

"No Soi-- don't apologize! Hey, are you sure you've got everything you need in here?"

"Yeah. I'm...I'm just fi..."

"It's a little chilly in here...I could turn up the thermostat if you--" Yoruichi paused as the unfamiliar sound of subdued hiccuping hit her ears. Puzzled, she turned around to find Soi hunched slightly, her shoulders quivering and a few flecks of water sliding down the hands gripping her skinny knees. As the Chinese girl's gasps became hoarser and her whimpers louder Yoruichi stared; even though she knew the best thing for her to do would have been to stay out of Soi's business she sat beside her instead, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder, not feeling nearly as comfortable with the simple act as she had before. "...Soi? Are...are you okay?"

The freshman looked up at Yoruichi, her formally impassive face lined with the streaks of fresh tears, her shoulders heaving with each breath in a futile attempt to keep everything she'd been feeling over the last few hours subdued. Yoruichi stared, bewildered to see the girl looking so delicate, so fragile, so far from the friend she'd known for the better part of a year. She was still uncertain of what to do when Soi threw herself forward, desperately wrapping her arms around Yoruichi's waist.

"I-I'm sorry, Yoruichi-s-san...I...Oh, God..." the girl whispered through her weeping, words half-choked in her throat while she clung to Yoruichi, face buried into her shoulder. Meanwhile the older of the two sat frozen, eyes wide with shock and hands hovering uncertainly near Soi's back. She wanted to comfort Soi, but she didn't know what to say; she was completely foreign to being held by someone in emotional turmoil, especially when Soi backed away from all but the most neutral contact. She'd only seen Soi in tears once now, but it only took her a moment to realize that as she felt Soi's weight against her and the wetness of tears on her shoulder that she hated it.

"I-It's okay..." Yoruichi responded quietly, putting her arms carefully around Soi's shoulders. Right now she just had to hold her, hold her and calm her down. But Soi was so warm, something about having her this close was against everything she'd warned herself about but at the same time...it almost felt like she fit perfectly in her arms.

"N-no it's n-not...I-i-it's my fault he got hurt...It's all m-m-my fault..."

"Soi...you know that's not true."

"Y-YES IT IS! I SHOULD'VE B-B-BEEN HOME!! H-HE WOULD'VE B-BEEN ALL RIGHT I-IF I'D J-JUST STAYED T-THERE AND WAITED FOR HIM!! I..." Soi choked, was quiet as she tried to compose herself again. "...I s-sh-should've been w-with D-d-dad..."

"Soi, don't talk like that!" Yoruichi insisted, the sight of the younger girl still in tears bothering her more by the second.

"H-he's all I've g-g-got! Wh-what if h-he'd DIED today?! Wh-what would I have d-done? I'd be b-better off if I-I'd b-b-been there too... I-I can't do a-anything for myself...I'm j-j-just a dumb, u-ugly girl who can't even c-cook on h-her own--" She went silent, wide-eyed as Yoruichi suddenly pulled her into a hug tighter than a vice, making it difficult to breathe. In spite of herself, she turned a slightly deeper shade of red as she felt Yoruichi whisper softly beside her.

"...You know that's a bunch of bullshit, Soi. Do you really think your Dad would be happy with you beat up in the hospital bed right next to him? And 'helpless'-- I know middle-aged adults that don't have it together nearly as much as you do." Yoruichi felt herself breathe a little easier as Soi's tearful gasps came fewer and farther between. "...Soi...Don't ever say that you'd be better off dead again. Don't EVER wish that. And just so you know... you're not ugly. Not at all."

"...Y-yeah, right..."

"I'm serious," Yoruichi insisted even as the younger girl gave a weak snort in disbelief. It was true that the first time she'd seen Soi she'd looked right away, hadn't even noticed. But her beauty wasn't anything like the kind she was used to; it was so much more subtle, something you grew to appreciate more as you saw her, as she grew on you. Even now, with her long hair matted across her shoulders and her eyes red from tears, Yoruichi felt her eyes remained glued to Soi, never shifting their focus no matter how much she tried to urge herself to stop.

"I...I'm s-sorry..." the freshman said quietly, loosening her grip on the midsection of Yoruichi's turtleneck. "Y-You've been so good to me, Yoruichi-s-san, and I just..."

"No...You're just upset. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You don't have to be so strong all the time. Besides," Yoruichi continued as she leaned in with a bit of a smile, "...I'd be pretty bad off if something happened to you. I don't have many friends without SOME kind of rhythm."

It took Soi a moment for the unexpected joke to take effect, but when it did she was shuddering with embarressed laughter, a smile lighting up her tearstreaked face. It instantly made Yoruichi's smile widen, just knowing that Soi still had that grin on her face, that was so wonderfully and uniquely _hers_.

Without thinking she bent her head forward, just enough to plant a light kiss on Soi's forehead. It only took the two of them a moment to realize what Yoruichi had done, but before either girl could address the subject further Soi's hiccups started up again. Yoruichi gave a light scoff, setting the mood back to its relative ease.

"...How about I get you a glass of water?" Soi nodded gratefully as Yoruichi released her grip on the younger girl and walked out of the room, letting the door shut behind her.

---------------------------------------- ----

It wasn't until she reached the light of the kitchen that Yoruichi realized her hands were trembling slightly. She assured herself that it was just anxiety getting to her, but even so she was a little more forceful than normal as she grabbed a tall glass from her cupboard, then set it in the sink as she turned the water on, letting it fill. She watched it disinterestedly for a few seconds, took out the cloth and ribbon that held her ponytail up as she sighed, but soon enough her thoughts returned to the girl upstairs. She hadn't meant to do something like that to Soi just now-- it was the last thing in the world she thought someone as distant and brutal as her was capable of, but even so the freshman just seemed to bring it out in her with incredible ease.

Yoruichi knew that she _wanted_ Soi-- she'd been aware of it for a while but wasn't sure when exactly the desire had taken root. But she'd never subdued the urge like this-- if she wanted someone she had them, no matter what. So why couldn't she just take her, get this out of her head once and for all?

_God-- what's WRONG with me,_ she wondered quietly. _Soi nearly lost her father today and I'm..._

It didn't matter how badly she wanted this now, wanted her. Soi wasn't just another 'someone'--she was strong but she was also too sweet, too kind, too innocent, too beautiful for her own good. She couldn't let Soi just fall for someone like her, someone who treated lovers like dolls, tossing them away at a moment's notice. She needed a FRIEND, not a lover, and even though Yoruichi wasn't the best one suited for the job she could still fulfill it as best she could.

But how long could she keep it up? It didn't help that this whole thing with Soi-- it was so different, not because she was a girl (Yoruichi was no stranger to her own gender) but because of this strange choking feeling she got in her chest whenever she so much as glanced at her, whenever she got close. Yoruichi felt her train of thought derail as she suddenly looked down and realized the glass had been overflowing for quite a while, the faucet never having been turned off. Quickly correcting the problem, she heaved a sigh while pouring the excess liquid down the sink.

_This isn't me,_ Yoruichi pondered. _This isn't like me at all. I don't get crushes like a grade-schooler. Not over people like her. I just have to deal with it._

She didn't want to go back in Soi's room tonight, not with all this in her head, but deciding that the freshman probably needed the promised beverage, she shook off her uncertainty and climbed the stairs.

-----------------------------------

Yoruichi gave the door another light tap as before, letting Soi know she was there just a moment before opening the door. The room hadn't changed at all since she'd been there last: the Chinese girl was still sitting on the bed with the covers slightly open, the lamp was still emanating a low orange tint. Soi looked up and gave Yoruichi the slightest of smiles as she wiped her face with the back of her arm; the older of the two tensed imperceptibly but continued forward unabated.

"Hey, sorry I took so long-- you didn't have to wait up for me." Soi shrugged a little, almost casually. Just like they were friends. She held the water out to Soi, who in turn reached for it with her left hand.

"...Thank you." As she reached the cup her fingers grazed Yoruichi's hand, both flinching slightly at the jolt of electricity that flowed through them at that moment. Soi tried to displace her hand and Yoruichi almost wanted to move from the point of contact, but somehow her palm never strayed as Soi set the glass down, appendages remaining just barely touching. It felt as though they were both acutely aware of their distance, the motion having brought Yoruichi only a few inches away from Soi's face, but neither moved or tried to speak. Yoruichi just sat there, staring into Soi's eyes, the scent of clean linen hanging on her only working to further her enchantment. She knew this was too strong, that if she stayed another second she wouldn't be able to hold back, that she had to leave NOW.

Neither of them knew who moved first; it was just the gradual closing of distance, lips hesitantly meeting in a chaste kiss. Yoruichi recoiled slowly, strangely off-balance but the taste she'd only been hinted at before took hold of her again, and before she'd backed away even an inch she moved forward again, met halfway by an equally hazy-eyed Soi Fong.

For a few minutes they just sat there, Yoruichi trying to push away with her right hand only to have it entangled in Soi's short locks, felt it carress her hair with a gentleness the wealthy often showed to the finest and most priceless of fabrics; the whole time they were inching ever closer to each other, the kiss deepening, Soi's formally hesitant mouth widening to grant Yoruichi entrance, which she hungrily accepted.

Soi's hands found their way to the taller girl's shoulders, felt a thrill run down her spine as Yoruichi quivered, partly from the unexpected contact and bliss from Soi's fingers dancing across her shoulders, the sweater in between skin and hands doing nothing to lessen its potency. Meanwhile Yoruichi's free hand had taken a slow, luxurious path down Soi's shirt, sliding underneath once she reached the garment's hem. Her brain was still putting up a feeble resistance at this point; her body was moving of its own volition despite repeated mental protests.

After what seemed like forever passed Yoruichi finally gathered the resolve to break the kiss, despite the fact that her eyes were shut tight, body aching for more, her hands desperate to keep exploring that delicate porcelain skin. There was still a chance that she could stop this-- break this off right now and just--

"...Yoruichi..."

In an instant she froze, her brain stopped working, Soi's words ringing through her ears. The younger girl pulled herself so close to Yoruichi that there was barely any breathing room between them; her stormy eyes had darkened to a smoldering grey, her face a deep crimson and her mouth open slightly as she visibly struggled to remember how to breathe.

"Yoruichi..."

Never in her life had the dark-skinned girl heard her own name sound more beautiful, more hypnotic in her life as Soi whispered it in a voice of long-repressed desire, and combined with the intoxicating smell and taste and texture of her Yoruichi finally stopped fighting. She willfully wrapped her lips around Soi's again, drowning in the maelstrom of blind emotion as she grew drunk on the flavor of her, every breath holding Yoruichi in the mind-foging aroma of her hair.

For the time being, the world beyond Soi no longer existed for Yoruichi; no longer mattered. She slid the girl carefully beneath her as they fell to the bed, and while Yoruichi kissed her neck she heard a moan that surpassed that of every lover she'd ever had.


	41. Guilt

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 41: Guilt

Yoruichi didn't recall having fallen asleep, just that at some point she'd lost track of how many dots she'd counted on the textured ceiling. She'd started her counting anew once some form of cognizance had returned to her, not daring to move an inch in the hopes that she wouldn't wake the slender body on her.

Soi had a hand resting just below her right breast, fingers unconsciously sliding back and forth on her bare skin, which had only added to her difficulty in falling asleep. Small mounds of flesh squashed slightly into the arm caught underneath the Chinese girl, and the slow, even flow of breath on her neck all served to keep Yoruichi firmly where she lay, torn between the growing desire to stare and the necessity of looking away, to gain some semblance of balance again.

There wasn't a window in this room but the blinds in the adjundant spaces were pulled, letting the morning light gradually seep throughout the house. Eventually Soi stirred, and despite herself Yoruichi felt her eyes on Soi again, hypnotized as she watched the girl use the back of her hand to rub the sleep out of her eyes, her yawn surprisingly melodic.

It took Soi a moment to remember why she was sleeping naked next to Yoruichi, but when realization hit the girl her normal impulse-- to run, to apologize, anything-- failed, leaving her to simply smile as she laid her head on the upperclassman's shoulder, blushing slightly to herself, the euphoria from only a few hours ago still hanging over her like a drunken haze. She either didn't notice Yoruichi flinch slightly, or she was too happy to care.

"...Good morning."

"M...morning," the older girl managed, hoping she hadn't sounded too conspicuous. Again, Soi didn't notice, but she did lift herself up slightly when she realized she was laying on Yoruichi's arm.

"Oh...I-I'm sorry...I didn't even--"

"...It's fine," Yoruichi said as she forced a smile, struggling all the while to avoid staring at the now-exposed body before her. To her silent gratitude Soi shifted herself off of the sleeping limb, but then the girl surprised both of them by lowering her head to Yoruichi's shoulder and planting a soft kiss on the surface.

Soi's body slowly continued this affectionate display, leaving a row of warm, hungry kisses that ended at the older woman's neck, and in spite of herself Yoruichi let out a shuddering sigh, let her hand wander through the locks of unbound hair that spread across Soi Fong's back, fingertips memorizing the slight bumps of spine that protruded through skin. Soi gave a groan, elated and content at the touch, but as she eagerly felt herself reach for Yoruichi's face with lips and tongue at the ready, the upperclassman gently extracted herself from the embrace and shifted out of bed.

"...Are you okay?" Soi asked quietly, confused by Yoruichi's rather...cold reaction. Yoruichi turned to look at her, eyes glued to the sight of the freshman looking up at her from the bed, askew sheets barely covering her petite form, smooth feet exposed to the slightly chill air. She wasn't sure what her intended response had been, but she felt herself smile warmly at Soi, bewildered by the fact that even though she was still without clothing Soi maintained eye contact, as if entranced not by her body but by her face.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just...I'm gonna go make us some breakfast, okay?" To her relief Soi smiled in acceptance, but before Yoruichi could stop herself she'd planted another light kiss on the petite girl's forehead. She tried to look natural as she walked towards the door, then remembered that her clothes were in a pile with Soi's on the other side of the bed. The freshman couldn't help but give a laugh, warm and wonderfully natural, at Yoruichi's absentmindedness, unable to look away as the older woman put her jeans and bra back on, silver eyes memorizing every nuance of her movements that she could.

* * *

The Shihouin woman rubbed her eyes as she stood over the steadily frying skillet of eggs, exhausted not so much by a lack of sleep as she was from the actions that now resulted in her fatigue. 

She'd never meant to do THAT with Soi. But all the excuses in the world didn't make her feel any better, didn't make her dilemma any easier to deal with.

_Goddamnit-- I'm such a hypocrite,_ she thought bitterly as she gave a dark chuckle into her hand. She'd sworn she would protect Soi, that she wouldn't let anything like this happen to her, that she'd never let anyone touch a hair on her head again. And yet she'd been, the dark girl reminded herself guiltily, the first to take her. What kind of friend-- of protector-- was she if she couldn't even control herself? She was so lost in her thoughts as she absentmindedly flipped the eggs that she didn't notice Soi had snuck up on her until she felt a pair of thin arms around her waist and a head resting lightly on the back of her neck.

"Wh...what are you doing?" the senior asked reflexively, surprised at the amount of uneasiness in her own voice. Soi shrugged her shoulders as she held on just a little tighter, gave a sigh that tickled the back of the taller girl's neck, making her shiver just enough to make Soi's content smile widen.

"...Nothing," she answered simply, with just a bit of a tease in her voice. It was true; she wasn't sure even now what caused this, for her to be so AFFECTIONATE for no reason at all. No. She _did_ know, and it made her happier than anything in the world. Part of Soi wanted to just say it, to scream it out loud to anyone who would hear, but why bother? Yoruichi knew. She HAD to know how she felt; Soi had seen her own feelings reflected too much in those flawless golden eyes last night for it to be a mistake.

Her hands moved slowly on their own, making nonsensical shapes on Yoruichi's uncovered stomach that she was failing to ignore, aware that the eggs in front of her were burning but unable to move for fear that she'd snap again. Fortunately the phone rang, and when Soi reluctantly walked off to answer it Yoruichi let out a sigh of relief. She finished the slightly darkened breakfast easily enough, so grateful for the distraction that she didn't realize her meal was actually edible as she bit into it numbly.

"Yoruichi!"

"Y-yeah?" the senior mumbled as she was forced to return to the present, puzzled by the even-more-ecstatic look on Soi's face as she ran past the kitchen to retrieve her coat.

"The hospital just called-- they said Dad woke up!"

* * *

After a quick brunch (which Soi had quietly thanked Yoruichi over) the senior called Urahara, who upon hearing the news gladly drove the girls back to the medical building. They were all going past the hall full of rooms, wondering if they had the wrong side of the building when the sound of frustrated yelling drifted in through the nearest open door. 

"I told you, I don't need one of those-- I'm perfectly capable of-- Ahhh!"

"Mr. Fong, as you can plainly see you can barely lift yourself off the bed, much less walk to the bathro--"

"DAD!"

At the sound of his daughter's voice Zhou turned from away from the orderly at the foot of his bed, his scowl melting into a glad smile.

"Well, if it isn't the birthday gi-- OWW!"

"Oh! I-I'm sorry!" Soi apologized as she released her father from her embrace, remembering too late why he was even here.

"...It's okay, Soi-chan," he assured her with a slightly pained expression. "I'm the one who's stuck in a cast, after all."

"Excuse me, ma'am," the scrub-clad man said gruffly as he ran his thumb over the stubble on his chin, "...but are you a relative?"

"Of COURSE she is!" Urahara growled at him irritably, in no mood after last night to deal with another ignorant member of the medical profession. "...And we're all here to see him too, so if you could KINDLY let the girl visit with her father..." The orderly opened his mouth to prepare some ill-conceived manner of rebuttal, but upon staring down the green-eyed man for a few seconds he decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

"...Just don't let him move around too much. He's been demanding to leave ever since he came to." At the orderly's exit Kisuke grinned, then turned to the Fongs.

"Well, I guess we should let you two visit," the blonde said as he motioned for Yoruichi to follow him.

"Huh? But..." the freshman muttered, a lump forming in her throat as she watched the bronze woman begin to walk away. "...I thought you wanted to say hi to Dad," she finished quickly.

"We will-- but I figure you guys want to be left alone for a bit-- 'family time' and all that."

"Oh. Well, bye..." Soi began but stopped as Yoruichi's form became obscured by the reinforced door. She put her smile back on as she turned to her father, immediately asking how he was feeling.

* * *

"You seem a little tense." Yoruichi froze for barely a moment as her fingers fumbled with the tab on her can of orange soda, but to Urahara's silent frustration her face gave nothing away to his statement. 

"...I should be. Didn't...get much sleep last night..." the younger of the two finished distractedly. Urahara could tell there was more to that statement than she was letting on-- the odd look of masked frustration on Yoruichi's face as she'd sat next to a strangely content Soi Fong on the way to the hospital had been enough of a red flag-- but all the same he decided to let the matter drop. He'd only get into an argument with her, not something he particularly wanted at this point.

"So," Kisuke exclaimed after a few minutes of silence, finishing of his can of coffee in a single swig, "...Kuukaku was tellin' me that she was gonna go out dancing with some friends at Homounka on V-Day... she wanted to make sure you were still coming."

"You talk like you're not a party to that at all," Yoruichi muttered with what Kisuke could only assume was sarcasm. He chuckled at his friend as she grinned slightly, so he decided his line of thinking had been correct.

"Well, I AM... but she was pretty certain you'd be making plans with ...someone else, so..."

"Of course I'm coming," Yoruichi finished, just a bit too defensively, for which she cursed herself silently. "...I don't know what she's talking about." Again Kisuke caught that dismissive tone, and again he wanted to ask her about it, but instead he glanced at his watch and, realizing that it had been nearly a half-hour already, told Yoruichi that they'd better get back to the room and at least greet Soi's father formally, as he had work in a little over an hour.

* * *

A few hours later Yoruichi sat in front of the living room television, a half-eaten pepperoni/mushroom pizza resting on the coffee table and an old black-and-white movie playing on Channel 53; by the attentive gaze Soi was levelling on it the film must have been good, but Yoruichi was barely paying it any mind. Part of her just wanted the day to be over, hoping that she could somehow force some food down her throat if the sick feeling of guilt in her stomach would give her a moment's peace. She nearly flinched when Soi placed a trembling hand on her arm, then reminded herself that last night had just been a lapse in her behavior. It didn't mean anything, she was just being stupid. 

"Yoruichi? Are you okay?"

"Y...Yeah, I'm fine," The older woman answered with a smile, not daring to look Soi in the eye. "I'm just-- just a little tired."

"You don't have to stay up with me... I know it's kind of weird that I like these movies anyway..."

"No...I like it," Yoruichi assured her, feeling even guiltier when Soi's nervous expression lightened into a small grin.

"Sorry...I'm just feeling a little... odd, I guess," the freshman said with a laugh, the slight sound ringing gently in Yoruichi's ears. She could feel it welling up inside her again, that temptation as her disobedient eyes kept their gaze on Soi. She was trying to convince herself to talk to Soi, to tell her that she hadn't meant for it to go that far last night, when she felt a pair of hesitant lips on her bare shoulder. Looking down fearfully her face met with Soi's mop of dark hair, face hidden behind it as the younger girl planted kisses along her arm. The display of affection, coupled with the aroma of Soi's hair before her weakened Yoruichi, and her attempts to protest only came out as long, slow gasps for breath as Soi's lips traveled to her jawline. She had to stop this now-- the stain of Soi's lost virginity still hung over her head; she couldn't do this again, especially when her hands had already begun tracing the curve of Soi's slight back. To her temporary relief Soi stopped, then flinched as if she'd only just now come to the realization of what she was doing. Relief disappeared as Soi leaned against her, head resting just below the upperclassman's chin and hands nestled on either of her shoulders, looking admittedly adorable and helpless at the same time.

"...Thank you, Yoruichi." The words, so honest and free of pretense, stung at Yoruichi just a little bit worse than Soi's unexpected touch.

"F-for what?" the woman asked quietly, aware only of the warmth radiating from Soi's body at the moment.

"Everything," Soi answered with a whisper and a smile, gazing up at her with such a mixed palatte of emotion that it was all Yoruichi could do to hold her, hold her and pray that Soi fell asleep before she could let last night repeat itself, a prospect that seemed to grow dangerously closer every second. The end credits of the movie had rolled long after she finally heard Soi's breathing grow slow and even, and Yoruichi moved her as carefully as she could to the pillow before she finally let out the breath she was holding. She could feel her heart pounding, something in her aching to hold the girl a little longer, but instead her hands clenched into fists, bringing one furiously down on the couch in self-loathing.

This isn't right.

She'd never once felt inadequate-- that there was someone who was too good for her-- but she had that feeling as she watched Soi sleep beside her, so peaceful and INNOCENT after yesterday that it almost didn't seem real. But she couldn't let Soi look at her like that, couldn't let those adoring eyes settle on a person like her, couldn't let Soi continue to be in love with her for a second more. Not to mention that the slightest bit of contact seemed to render her utterly incapable of putting up a fight, a reaction she couldn't say she was familiar with. It was wrong, this wasn't her, she'd never once been like this.

She had to get Soi away from her as soon as she could.

A/N: After what seems like forever, a new update! I offer my humblest and sincerest apologies for the long delay-- attributable to both a case of writer's block and to having my virus-ridden computer in for repairs for the better part of a month (although it's a pain, at least my comp's running better now!) Will hopefully have the next chapter up by the end of the weekend!


	42. Assurances

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 42: Assurances

Soi looked down at her notebook, a little perturbed to find that the notes she thought she'd been taking down so well were in fact a jumble of scribbles brought on by daydreaming. But she felt a little too happy to really care, and so she just continued with the tangle of nonsensical lines until the bell rang and signaled the end of school. She walked out in a bit of a daze, ignoring someone's question of what the hell was so great as she headed off to catch Yoruichi, her smile widening as she came behind her.

"H-hi, Yoruichi-san!" The subject of her greeting turned a little too quickly-- almost frightened, it seemed-- by the sound of her voice, but the smile Yoruichi offered seemed so genuine that Soi didn't pay it any mind. "Um...How were your classes today?"

"Oh...just fine," Yoruichi answered nonchalantly.

"Hey, I was gonna go visit Dad again today-- did you wanna come? I know it won't be that fun for you, but I was kinda thinking... we could, um...get dinner at this place nearby afterwards..." The timidness of Soi's request made her look so sweet that Yoruichi had trouble looking away, but her eyes eventually found the inside of her bookcase.

"Uh...sorry, Soi-- I've got a bunch of homework tonight, and..."

"Oh-- Don't worry about it! It's silly for me to think that you're always available," Soi responded, even though there was a slight blush playing on her cheeks. "Um... I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, okay?" She leaned forward slightly, and to Yoruichi's relief Soi's lips hesitated near her cheek, recoiling before anyone noticed. Instead she contented herself with waving goodbye, and once she was clearly out of sight Yoruichi headed in the direction of the exit.

* * *

"Are you sure there's nothing else I can get you?" Soi asked as she set a grocery bag full of mixed fruits on the windowsill that served as a bedstand for her father.

"Soi-chan, I'm fine-- really," the middle-aged man insisted as he instantly began rummaging, smiling contently when he found a particularly ripe-looking apple. "...But if you could get one of those white-coats to let me out of here--"

"Dad, I TOLD you I'm not letting you leave until the doctor says it's alright! It's bad enough you tried to get away on your own this morning."

"...Who told you that?" Zhou asked with just a hint of mischief in his eye, and in spite of herself Soi gave a laugh that she had to hide with her hand. She was just calming down when her father made another attempt at humor that was less funny to the girl. "Still, it might you good for me to get hospitalized again."

"D-dad, how can you talk like that?!"

"Well," the male Fong began with a lilt in his voice that suggested understanding, "...I get in an accident, and all of a sudden you're smiling brighter than you did when you were a little girl. Hard not to think there's a correlation." To his delight the teen broke into a slight blush, and though she seemed to deny it with the sour expression on her face, Zhou knew better.

"I-it's nothing like that..."

"Then you mind letting your old Dad know what's bringing on this little... odd bit of behavior?"

"Well..." Soi muttered, unsure if she wanted to continue. For one, she didn't know if she was sure about telling her father who she was in love with, and nearly as important, considering Yoruichi's rather evasive behavior lately it seemed that the older girl would rather it stayed a secret for now. She felt even more nervous now than before she and Yoruichi had been together, and at the time being it was best to avoid anything that could possibly upset her 'girlfriend.' She felt inadequate enough as it was.

"...I'll tell you later, Dad. Okay?" He gave her a disappointed look before she left, promising him that she'd be back tomorrow after school.

* * *

The next day was Valentine's Day, and in spite of her new relationship with Yoruichi the date was no different than any Soi had spent in her long time as a single woman. She'd completely forgotten to make Yoruichi chocolate, what with her father's health, though she knew her own culinary 'skills' well enough to know it was probably better to just leave the whole thing alone. Besides, she'd wondered, wouldn't it be a bit odd for a girl to offer another chocolate, since it was so associated with 'normal' couples? Maybe there was something else she should be giving her, something a little less conventional or at least something she liked, or...she finally got a headache for her efforts, leaving her to sprawl on the couch in exhaustion.

_I barely saw her today as it was,_ the freshman thought grimly as she recalled their brief lunch with Urahara and Kuukaku, in which neither of them had spoken. She needed to get Yoruichi alone; they always seemed to do better when they could speak to each other one-on-one. To her frustration the phone rang, interrupting her train of thought as she got up to answer the clamorous device.

"Hello?"

"Hey kid," Kuukaku's voice called on the other end, almost a little louder than normal as it fought against the sound of pulsing music that filtered into the reciever. "...What are you still doing at home? We're having a party at the club if you wanna come!"

"Oh..." Soi responded dully, lacking the energy or the mindset for another night of dancing, especially at the place she'd been with Yoruichi that night. "Sorry Kuukaku, I've got a bunch of stuff to do for my Lit class tomorrow, and--"

"Don't give me that! Yoruichi's here, you know!" The Shiba girl smiled as she heard Soi pause, felt the tension in her voice when she finally responded.

"W-well, I'm sure that she's fine. She probably doesn't want a kid like me there anyway..."

"Kid, I can assure you that's definitely not the case. I know this is gonna sound ridiculous, but... I really think she'd perk up if you were here right now." At Kuukaku's words-- so surprisingly honest and, heaven forbid, perceptive-- Soi felt her insecurities evaporate. She couldn't just sit here feeling foolish, expecting happiness to just fall in her lap again. She thanked Kuukaku for the call and, grabbing her wallet and her lone 1,000 Yen note, headed out the door for the bus stop. If she wanted to keep this relationship from stagnating it would require effort on her part, too.

* * *

Yoruichi stared out over the railing of Homounka's outdoor patio, not really looking at anything in particular as she fiddled absentmindedly with the neon parasol floating adrift in her cocktail. She'd been dancing for a little while, but not really enjoying it the way she used to. Somehow, it didn't feel right for her to be here without Soi awkwardly trying to dance beside her, and again she felt a sting of guilt for not telling the girl about this. But she needed to get away, to think about this on her own. She knew it was better for Soi if they weren't together, but in spite of this truth something in her still wanted Soi with her. But it didn't matter what she wanted-- it was in Soi's best interest for this...relationship... to just end here. She had to make the freshman understand exactly what kind of person she was.

"What are you doing in the cold?" She turned to find Kisuke walking up to her, a rum and cola half-finished in his right hand and his casual smile fixed on his face. "Damn, it's a good thing THAT one bartender's here-- no carding for us tonight!" Yoruichi smiled briefly at his observation, then turned back to the dim night sky. The blonde stared at the bare expanse of dark skin revealed along Yoruichi's collarbone by her chosen outfit, but came to his senses thankful that she didn't notice. "Hey, Ukitake's been asking about when you're leaving for the States... they were wondering when you'd wanna have a going-away party." Yoruichi nearly asked him what he was talking about when it hit her. The Exchange trip...she'd forgotten all about it.

"Oh... I think in a little over a month or so."

"Listen," Kisuke said, quickly changing gears, "...If you're not enjoying yourself then I could drive you somewhere else... we could go to the movies or get a bite at that one place with the all-night pancakes..."

"...It's fine," Yoruichi answered with a smile. "I'm doing all right. Besides, I know you're enjoying yourself." Kisuke cursed himself as he turned away, wishing part of him could just ask Yoruichi if she felt anything for him. But it was silly-- she was his best friend, and how many of her so-called lovers could say that? He was grateful as Kuukaku walked up, a welcome distraction from his tumultuous thoughts.

"Hey Yoruichi, ya should really be ashamed of yourself."

"Hmm?" The dark-skinned girl wondered aloud.

"Oh come on, you forgot to tell Fong about the party! But don't worry, I called her earlier for you and she just got here." Yoruichi wasn't aware that she could feel genuinely afraid until today but her heart skipped a beat, uncertainty knotting her stomach at her friend's words. If Soi came up to her here, with all these people around on Valentine's Day... "Seriously, go meet her-- she won't be able to find you through this crowd of people without some help," Kuukaku uttered with a knowing smile as she walked back into the throng. Yoruichi felt the words register, as well as the knowledge that if she was going to end this she'd have to do it now. But how?

"...Are you okay?" Kisuke asked as he looked over at Yoruichi. "What did that mean? And why are you pale?"

"Uh... I'm not," Yoruichi insisted, even though she could feel the color draining from her face as she forced the cogs in her head to turn faster. "I'm...just a little cold, is all." She hoped Kisuke wouldn't dwell on her behavior but unfortunately he seemed especially perceptive today, and advanced slightly with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Yoruichi, don't be like that. I didn't wanna say anything before, but you've been acting a little...well, weird... since Soi's been at your house. Is something going on?"

"Don't...don't be silly, Kisuke," the young woman muttered irritably. She could feel Soi getting closer, a thought already forming in her mind. She didn't like it, but it seemed like her only option... "To tell the truth (even though she knew she wasn't)... I have been feeling a little... different lately."

"...What are you talking about?" Urahara queried, bewildered by the rather odd way she was looking at him, the almost sensual way she touched his shoulder.

* * *

Soi held the small box of chocolates closer to her chest as she forced her way through the crowd of Homounka patrons, excusing herself when she bumped into a rather irritable couple. She felt ashamed for getting store-bought candies, and at the last minute as well, but Yoruichi would understand, especially when she'd promise to make her a handmade batch next year.

Well, as close to handmade as I can get without them being poisonous, the freshman thought with a smile. Finding no one reselmbling Yoruichi on the dance floor, she wandered over to the sliding glass doors on the left side of the room, on the offchance that anyone would be on the balcony.

* * *

"...Yoruichi? What are you...?"

the Shihouin woman ignored his question, forced herself to smile at him as she slid her palm along his shoulder, behind his neck. Despite his confusion it was clear that he didn't mind the contact, which would make the coming pill a little easier to swallow. Yoruichi caught a flash of Soi's face moving closer to her position, and with no more time left to reconsider she simply moved forward.

* * *

The girl smiled in relief as she caught the top of that familiar ponytail over another herd of drinkers, and as she finally reached the zenith of the stairs she called out to her girlfriend.

"Yoruichi! Yoruichi, Happy Valen--"

She froze, felt her voice evaporate as she realized what the senior was doing.

* * *

Kisuke didn't remember Yoruichi actually kissing him. Just the pressure of her hand as she forced his face to hers, the haze of long-buried emotion as she pulled away, the moment his surprise had melted into utter contentment as those lips he'd wanted for so long finally carressed his own. He tried to force himself to think straight as his eyes finally opened, finding the mischevious smile he'd always adored before him. He didn't understand why she'd done it, what had brought it on, but he didn't care. He was leaning in for her again when he caught the silouhette of someone standing in the doorway to the balcony. The silver hoops at the ends of her braids instantly brought him back to a measure of cognizance.

"...Soi Fong?" At the sound of her name Yoruichi turned to face the girl, instantly wanting to take her action back when she saw her face. It was blank as usual, giving nothing away to the casual observer. But to Yoruichi it screamed volumes. She wanted to take it back, wanted to run to Soi immediately and assure her that it had meant nothing, but she ignored it, hating herself as she did so. This was for the best, after all. She smiled at the girl in as friendly a way as she could, as if this was all completely normal.

"Hi, Soi. Glad you could make it!"

"H...hey." As she predicted, Soi did nothing, made no attempt to ask questions. Nothing to make this harder for her than it was, save for the slight trembling of her shoulders that suggested she was at the brink of tears, though not a single bit of moisture appeared in her eyes. She seemed more stunned than anything else, still trying to wrap her head around what she'd just seen. Yoruichi caught the look of sudden comprehension in Kisuke's face, but she promptly hooked her arm in his, as if they were a long-married couple, and it distracted him enough that she tugged him in her direction as she walked back towards the club.

"Are you having a good time?" Yoruichi asked, unaware that she could feign happiness so easily.

"...Yeah. A great time."

"That's good. See you at school tomorrow, okay?"

Soi only nodded as her feet remained planted where she stood, Yoruichi walking past her with Urahara in tow, unaware that he turned to look back at the girl in shock but soon enough turned back to Yoruichi, too guilty to be happy. Almost as one the crowd who'd seen the two kiss from inside began catcalling, some of their 'friends' congratulating Kisuke on being such a 'lucky-son-of-a-bitch' and wondering, jokingly, if they would have gone any farther without being interrupted. Soi could only stare at where Yoruichi had been only a second ago, the box of candy laying at her feet, long forgotten.

* * *

_This is for the best,_ Yoruichi assured herself as she ignored the voice in her head that ordered her to go after Soi, anything other than leave her standing there with no answers. But if she did, Soi would forgive her, like she'd forgiven her selflessly before; this was easier as long as she could hope that Soi would hate her, hate her and forget about her.

_This is for HER sake._


	43. A Comfortable Lie

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 43: A Comfortable Lie

"Wow, look at them!"

"You know, I always thought they looked good together-- 'bout time they hooked up."

"Yeah-- weren't they friends since kindergarten or somethin'?"

"Man, she's all OVER him; maybe they'll get started right here in the hallway..."

"Ha-- we can only hope...Geez, I'd give ANYTHING to be in that Urahara's shoes right now..."

Soi put her lunch down as calmly as she could, walked out of the classroom slowly even though she knew no one in the room would notice her missing; they were all too busy gossiping about the couple that had just walked by. She was grateful that the bathroom was close, almost as much as she was that Yoruichi and Kisuke had turned the corner, equally unaware of her presence. Even if it was only a few feet away the girl ran for the lavatory door, pushing it open and forcing her way into the nearest unlocked stall. She sat down on the toilet, cupping her face in small hands as if to forcibly tear the words of her classmates out of her head but to no avail. The freshman wanted to scream, to punch the nearest person as hard as she could, but as strong as those desires were she knew that only one person deserved the heartbreak, the wrenching pain in her chest she was just barely enduring.

She was.

She couldn't help wondering why Yoruichi had done it, or rather what SHE had done that made Yoruichi lose interest in her so quickly. But then she could think of a million reasons why-- not the least of which was her utter lack of experience in the world of... adult activities. Had she been so terrible that Yoruichi had instantly regretted it? Or maybe she had moved too fast afterwards, letting herself believe that there was a connection between sex and love-- that Yoruichi's physical affection indicated anything more than just what she presented.

It didn't make sense-- she'd FELT something connect them that handful of days ago, something more than just their year of friendship, something real and good. But what did she know about that, about love in general, when the only person she'd ever even had a crush on was Yoruichi?

And Urahara... who was she to think that compared to him-- a man who'd known her practically all his life-- she ever had any hope of being loved by her?

"...Fong?" The freshman snapped out of her meditative state to find Kuukaku standing in the threshold of her stall, and before she could snap at the older girl for invading her privacy she realized that she'd neglected to lock the door.

"S-sorry...I-I'm done if you w-w-wanna u-use it..."

"You're crying." Soi lifted a hand to her face to find that there were, in fact, tears slowly making their way down her cheeks; she hadn't even realized that she was doing it until now. She didn't notice the normally uncouth girl hesitantly reach out a hand for her-- worry etched on her impassive face-- as she forced herself past, brushing the saltwater off her face with her sleeve hard enough to brush the memories they represented away, if they too had been so fragile. "Soi..." The Shiba girl called, slightly biting her lip at the unintended use of her first name, "...I'm sure it's just a mistake-- Yoruichi wouldn't..."

"You're right," Soi whispered as she paused near the door, not wanting to show her face if she was still crying. "...It was me." Without another word Soi left, praying she wouldn't run into Yoruichi and her...boyfriend...again anytime soon. She didn't think she could be silent for much longer.

* * *

"...Bye, Kisuke. I'll see you tonight for dinner, okay?" 

"Okay," The blonde muttered as she leaned forward to kiss him, and though his heart skipped at the contact it sunk just as much at the knowledge of the artificiality of its 'affectionate' nature. She let her fingers slide along his arm as she broke contact, gave him a suggestive wink as she walked off, as if she was deliberately putting on a show for whoever happened to be watching. As he turned around he caught a glimpse of Soi Fong, walking as fast as she could in the opposite exit, fighting against the crowd as her braid-rings clinked together.

He'd had his suspicions fairly early about those two. He'd never seen Yoruichi so genuinely friendly with someone before, so honest...well, as honest as she was capable of being at any case. He'd always hoped Yoruichi would look at him that way one day, and even though it hurt to see someone else as the subject of that unspoken affection he'd tried to encourage it, the better to help himself let go of the infatuation. But this... he knew none of Yoruichi's love was present in her actions and yet he'd wanted this for so long part of him wanted to believe it. It was what had kept him from bringing this up with Yoruichi, after all.

* * *

The Shihouin girl, too busy rifling through her locker for her books, didn't notice Kuukaku behind her, didn't have a chance to speak as she turned around to suddenly find a fist in her face that sent her tumbling backwards into the metal closet with a crash. Instinctively she brushed her hand over her face to find no blood had been spilt, only a pulsing bruise on her cheek, but before she could do anything else she felt two strong hands grab her collar and pull her up, forcing her to look into the eyes of a very angry young woman. 

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Yoruichi didn't answer right away, choosing instead to look slightly to the left of her friend so as to avoid the full fury of her gaze.

"...I don't know what you're talking about, Kuukaku. Now let go of m--"

"Don't give me that 'I-don't-know' bullshit," the Shiba daughter growled dangerously. "What happened to all that about protecting her, or were you just blowing hot air THEN too?!" Yoruichi wanted to push Kuukaku back, but at the same time part of her knew she deserved it. She could deal with a few minutes of demanding on Soi's behalf. "Jesus Christ, Yoruichi...it'd be just like you to fuck someone and ditch 'em, but how could you do that to HER?!"

"She's nothing special. She's just a stupid girl." Kuukaku flinched at Yoruichi's words, almost as surprised as she was for saying them. But she was getting angry now, the reminder of her actions stirring something painful in the pit of her frozen heart. She tried to extricate herself from Kuukaku's grip but the girl only held tighter, her eyes mere slits as she glared daggers at Yoruichi.

"You expect me to believe that?! She wasn't just another one of your toys and you KNOW it!"

Yoruichi felt her eyes widen at the words, so true they hurt to be said aloud. But she couldn't be weak, couldn't afford to regret her decision. It was over, finished.

"I don't give a damn what you believe," The dark-skinned girl whispered coldly as she put a strong hand on Kuukaku's, forcing her to relinquish her grip. "...When did you ever care who I slept with?"

Kuukaku bit her lip just slightly at the question, burying the small bit of compassion for Soi she had, unable to answer. In her remaining fury Kuukaku shoved Yoruichi back into the wall of lockers, then shot the Shihouin a look that would've killed her instantly if such an act was possible.

"...You're a goddamned liar, Yoruichi." Before the bronze girl could protest Kuukaku had gone, leaving a rather bruised senior to deal with her injuries, both corporeal and invisible. This had become such a mess, but it'd be over soon. Soon she'd be going to the U.S., and she wouldn't have to think about anyone for a long time.

_This is for the best,_ she told herself again, at the same time a little bothered by how much the phrase had begun to sound like a lie already.

* * *

It ended up being nine days total before Zhou Fong was given permission to return home. With his car still in the repair shop, and Soi unable to drive in either case they took a cab, him constantly expressing his gratitude at finally being free from 'that den of butchering leeches' and Soi smiling, doing her best to go back into the role of content daughter. She didn't have the heart to bring up what had happened, not because she was necessarily ashamed of it but because she herself still didn't know what to think about the whole event. Every night Soi thought she'd gotten over it, but she'd wake up the next morning to find her pillow just slightly damp. Having her father back, well and in good spirits, was enough of a blessing that she didn't want to waste it with him worrying about her. 

"Well, it's good to be back," Zhou declared as he walked back into the house, hobbling slightly on a cane for support until the remaining brace on his leg was ready to come off. He stood in the small entryway for about a minute until his stomach gurgled so loud that the girl behind him smiled in spite of herself. "Uh... I guess I should get started on dinner, huh?"

"Don't worry Dad," Soi assured him with a grin. "...You sit down-- I'll call the pizza place."

* * *

With dinner finished and the unfinished half of the vegetarian pizza sitting wrapped in the fridge (Zhou, despite his inclination toward sausage, had relented when Soi reminded him that a heart attack at this point in time would only mean another trip to the hospital), Soi stood over the sink, running a warm rag over a particularly stubborn clump of dried cheese and tomato sauce that had stuck to her dinner plate. She'd been doing it for so long now that it was beginning to become a subconscious act, her mind wandering elsewhere while her hands continued to work at the same steady pace. She tried her best not to think about Yoruichi. But her plate was yellow, so much so like those golden eyes that she'd adored so silently that she felt herself drifting off completely... 

"Little Bee? Everything all right?"

Her father. She snapped out of it almost instantly, almost like a musician waiting for her cue to rejoin the orchestra, smiling as she did so.

"Hey, Dad. Don't worry, I'm just finishing up, okay?" He nodded, but instead of leaving walked up a little ways behind her, and almost instinctively Soi knew that he had something on his mind. She continued scrubbing as he spoke, doing her best to act like she wasn't worried.

"...So... your friend told me that you stayed at her house while I was... you know, 'incapacitated.'" He said the last bit with the ghost of a chuckle in his voice but it made Soi's blood run cold; the way he said it made him sound almost suspicious.

"Y-yeah. At Yoruichi's."

"Did you have fun?" Soi recalled the way she'd had to run back to Yoruichi's house to grab her things after seeing her with Kisuke, thankful even as she had fought back tears that the senior never bothered to lock her front door.

"...Uh-huh. We watched some movies during the weekend..."

"Soi-chan..." the patriarch said quietly, not moving from his position while he watched her hands tremble slightly, though why he wasn't sure. "...You never told me about why you were so happy the other day."

Though she knew it only made her situation look worse Soi remained silent, unsure of what to say.

"Do you like her?"

"Well, of course I do," Soi answered, her mind running nearly as fast as her mouth as she tried to think of what her father would do-- if he would do anything. "S-she's my best friend, and she's a really popular person and I--" The girl tried to continue, but the words got stuck in her throat, memories crushed at her heart to the point she thought she would collapse right there if she wasn't already doubled over on the sink, a hand covering her eyes in an effort to keep herself under control. She tried to continue but her father put his free hand on her trembling shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"H-how...d-did you...?"

"Well..." Zhou whispered, more to himself than to her, "...I didn't know for sure, but... I guess you could say I had a hunch. To be honest... I didn't want to believe it at first-- that you were... well, like that."

The freshman's shoulders shook harder, vain attempts to keep herself under control showing. This was it-- he was ashamed of her, he HAD to be. But the reassuring hand on her arm didn't go away.

"But," Zhou continued after he'd taken a deep breath, "...you ARE my little girl, and... to be honest, I just want you to be happy. Even if I can't pretend that I understand completely." She knew that his words were what she'd always needed to hear, but they'd come too late and now they only made Soi more miserable. All this time everyone had known-- and only when Yoruichi had abandoned her did she now have the support of the most important person in her life. She felt stupid, like everyone had been in on a joke that she'd just now figured out she was the punchline of. Soi would have just stood helplessly over the sink if Zhou hadn't moved forward slightly, cradling his daughter's bitterly sobbing face into his shoulder. Even though she hadn't so much as shed a tear since his wife had died, he still could do this for her, if nothing else.

"What happened?"

"I..." Soi managed even as her voice cracked, "...I don't know. I-I just th-thought that she really... Oh God, I was so s-stupid..."

"Soi-chan, I know you're hurting right now. But it's not your fault. And as for her...there'll be someone else, you'll see." Soi shook her head, still weeping as she clung to her father a little tighter.

"N-no...I-I-I wanted t--"

"I know..." Zhou assured her quietly, "...that it feels like she was the only person in the world, that your heart's so broken it won't fit back together. I know EXACTLY how you feel." The freshman blinked, felt her tears slow as she knew instantly who he was talking about, the feeling that the world was crashing down around her growing a bit silly as she thought about it. "...But you'll find someone better. I'm an old man, there aren't any more chances for me. But each day it'll hurt a little bit less, and you'll be able to look her in the eye and know she doesn't have that sort of control over you anymore. It'll get better. I promise."

The Fong girl didn't know how much of that she'd believed, if she ever had any real hope of getting over something so deeply rooted in her heart. But standing here with her father, letting herself cry out everything she felt confused and angry and hurt over, did make her feel a little better.


	44. The Strongest Sense Linked to Memory

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 44: The Strongest Sense Linked to Memory

The blonde passed his menu to the waiter, who smiled curtly as he scribbled on his notepad, changing Yoruichi's soup to a salad as she'd requested.

"Well... I hope this place is as good as I've heard," Kisuke told his date with a valiant attempt at a lighthearted grin.

"Yeah, but most likely there's just a fry cook from some lousy burger pit sittin' in the kitchen." Urahara chuckled along with Yoruichi at her comment, almost convinced that they'd broken the ice at last until she immediately went back to surveying their admittedly opulent surroundings, her golden eyes focusing on a Van Gogh hanging on the far wall as if trying to assess its authenticity.

Kisuke thought it rather ironic that in spite of their new status as a 'couple' and Yoruichi's rather forward displays of 'affection' when they were in school, now that no one they knew was around she had situated herself across from him at the table, ignoring his chivalrous attempt to pull out her chair, and apart from her recent observation hadn't really spoken for the duration of the evening. She did her best to appear alert and interested in the present but every so often her eyes would cloud over ever-so-slightly, her fingers fumbling absentmindedly with the array of silverware before her or the gold zigzag bracelet dangling from her left wrist.

She'd never been so distant before all this, taking a seat beside him without thought wherever they happened to be, joking and teasing whenever she opened that surprisingly delicate mouth of hers. But then, it would have been foolish for him to think that with things being how they were Yoruichi would have displayed the same characteristics she always had.

"So... I was wondering how you thought the test went today in Current Events--"

"I'll be right back," Yoruichi interrupted as she put her cloth napkin on the table and slid out of her seat, headed for the restroom. "Don't start if they bring our food, okay?" Kisuke nodded, glancing at his lifelong companion as she walked away, the hem of her red dress swaying in time with her movements.

Kisuke wondered, as he slid a finger lazily across the rim of his water glass, what they were doing here. Not even simply the question of this particular restaurant, when he knew they both felt uncomfortable with places that expected a formal dress-code, but more what she was doing here with HIM, how they'd ended up like this-- so far from the fantasy of her happily clinging to him, devoted to him like a little lost puppy that he'd harbored somewhere in the back of his mind for the greater part of his adolescent life.

By the time Yoruichi returned she looked slightly disappointed to find that only the salads had arrived, as though she'd been counting on the superstition that your meal appeared faster when you went to the bathroom. She slid back into her seat, giving her date a hint of a smile as she eyed the twin plates of assorted greenery topped liberally with tomato and squash.

"Hey, nice to see you showed some restraint."

"Me?" Kisuke asked skeptically. "I don't seem to recall you showing any at my birthday last year. Kuukaku was fuming about you the entire next day for having to go out and find another cake at the last second." A smile flashed on Yoruichi's face at the reminiscence, chuckling about how little he'd changed in a year while her hands went about cutting the lettuce into smaller bites.

"And don't even get me started on when we all went out and you ate half the pizza--"

"Okay, okay! Jeez, you make me sound like some sort of p--" Yoruichi stopped as she glanced down at her plate, realizing that she'd cut her salad up too small, the leaves and tomato chunks less than a coin's diameter in size. When had she ever done that, the young woman wondered quietly to herself. The only person she'd ever met that would eat like that, so meticulously and carefully was...

"...You okay?"

"Uh..." Yoruichi managed as she forced the pang of guilt away, smiling a bit too wide as she did so, "...Yeah, I'm fine." Kisuke didn't ask anything else as they ate in silence, which suited Yoruichi fine; the bubble of apprehension that had welled up in her stomach was making it rather difficult to enjoy her meal as it was.

* * *

_Keep breathing,_ Soi told herself as she walked up the stairs to get to her next set of classes, a small stack of her heavier textbooks cradled precariously under her arm. And though it was indeed a challenge for the already skinny girl to manage the weight, her efforts to focus herself had nothing to do with the task at hand. Yoruichi had often crossed paths with her on this staircase, so after the hammer had fallen she'd avoided it on purpose. But due to congestion in the other stairwell and losing a few of her precious minutes to a forgotten notebook, the freshman had been faced with her deepest dread.

But no matter how much she cared about Yoruichi her father was right: she wasn't the only woman in the world, and more than that, there was no reason in the world for her to avoid Yoruichi. She'd never shown any fear of Ichimaru when he'd tried to control her, make her afraid and force her into a little box of terrible routine, and she wouldn't let Yoruichi have that sort of inhibiting influence on her now that it was over. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the person coming down the stairs on the wrong side until they'd collided, the students behind Soi brushing past her or cursing under their breaths as they hurried to class.

"Oww... I'm sorry, I-- Oh." The Chinese girl felt her voice catch as Yoruichi pulled herself up, looking equally surprised, as they hadn't spoken since Valentine's-- a little over two weeks prior, much less made an effort for direct contact.

"...Hey," Yoruichi said quietly, her smile light and pleasant. Neutral. The shorter of the two nodded in response, but said nothing. It was harder to be focused when her senses were once again being assaulted by the girl she'd so long adored, but she was thankful that at least her face wasn't giving anything away, although as a skill she'd practiced most of her life this wasn't much of an accomplishment.

Wordlessly, the senior bent down and helped Soi gather up her things, readjusting her hold on her bookcase's handle when she felt it start to slip. The older girl didn't know why she felt so frustrated all of a sudden, or rather she didn't think that Soi failing to glance over at her, her face not burning red had anything to do with it. She was so used to being greeted with a nervous, almost-stammer of 'Yoruichi-san' that to be treated by Soi like just another person felt strange.

"So... how have you been?"

Another surprise. Soi had initiated a conversation with HER, rather than the other way around, and though she wanted to believe there was a hint of silent longing buried in the younger girl's tone the fact was that she was speaking in a perfectly composed manner. As if they were a couple that had broken up long ago, but had somehow managed to get past it and be friends. Just friends. Again.

"...I've been all right. Kisuke and I spent the weekend together." Yoruichi didn't know WHY she said the last bit; it implied too much that hadn't actually occured. She hadn't slept with Kisuke yet, a feat that she normally would have done already save for something holding her back that she couldn't-- or wouldn't-- acknowledge. Even so, Yoruichi felt another tiny barb in her chest when Soi didn't seem affected by her rather suggestive insinuation, as if she'd WANTED the girl to react negatively. To get jealous.

"Thanks," Soi muttered kindly as Yoruichi handed her the last of the books, sliding the whole stack back into the crook of her arm.

"Do you need some help getting to class?" Yoruichi asked, watching the freshman already begin to fight back through the crowd that she'd, quite honestly, forgotten about.

"No thanks. Bye, Shihouin-san!" Soi smiled as she waved goodbye, disappearing into the second floor hallway. Once she knew she was out of Yoruichi's sight she let out the breath she'd been holding, a slight feeling of exhileration clutching at her. She couldn't believe how easy that had been-- to just have a normal encounter with Yoruichi, without the feeling that the world was crashing down around her or that her heart would burst out of her chest. True, she did feel an ache still, but soon enough, she assured her self, even that would be gone eventually.

* * *

"There's the last of the whites," Kisuke declared as he put the detergent in the washer and hit the start button, closing the lid as water filled the base. "...When was the last time you did laundry, anyway?" Yoruichi chuckled, giving a shrug at the blonde's question; she honestly had forgotten about it over the last few weeks, as so much had been going on in that time. As such, she had accumulated a rather large mountain of used clothing, which wasn't much of a problem due to her rather liberal closet space.

"Seriously, I know you don't like doing it, but I can't be here to help you out all the time."

"Yeah, yeah..." Yoruichi muttered, rolling her eyes just slightly at her companion's nagging. "Of all the things you could be anal about, I don't know why it's this." Kisuke just smiled as he grabbed a basket full of clean clothes, thankful that none of Yoruichi's underwear was in the pile.

"I'll be back to help you with the rest."

"Nah, it's okay," Yoruichi insisted. "...I'm just gonna fold what came out of the dryer and then I'll be up, okay?"

"All right. Don't keep me waiting; the movie's gonna start in a half-hour." The dark-skinned girl waved him off as she began rifling through the dryer-warmed garments, making as little effort to ensuring that they were folded properly as she could. She'd gotten halfway down the pile, grabbing the next white shirt that she could reach when she found it.

Soi's shirt-- the one she'd worn the night of her father's accident, the white medium that was still too big for her, that had become mingled with her discarded turtleneck and the rest of their clothes-- was there in her hands, apparently forgotten by the young girl when she'd left abruptly and neglected by the owner of the house. Yoruichi just stared at it for a moment, overwhelmed at what it reminded her of and struggling with the immediate desire to throw it away. She had to get rid of it-- it would look too awkward to give it back to Soi, especially after their encounter on the stairs. Yoruichi hadn't wanted to admit it, much less say it, but something about the way Soi had acted... like she really was over it... had left her feeling strangely empty, confused as the girl had walked away, if only slightly.

But this was what she'd wanted, the upperclassman reminded herself. For Soi to get over her... wasn't it? And if it was, why did she get the sense that it was HER that had been abandoned, and not content that her efforts had succeeded? She didn't realize that she'd been squeezing the shirt so hard until the slight prick of her fingernails registered on her palms through the fabric. She hadn't meant to, but it was still warm, so warm that...

Before she'd realized what she was doing Yoruichi had pressed the garment to her face, the hem scrunched up in her left hand while she gently held it along the collar, her eyes sliding shut as she took in the scent of the soap that still clung to it, assaulted immediately by the aroma of clean linen. Of her.

It was such a simple, unspectacular scent, one she'd never particularly noticed before but now it made Yoruichi tremble, made her breathe it out a little slower than she normally would have, as if her whole body had linked the aroma so irrevocably with Soi that it was reluctant to let it escape her lungs altogether. Yoruichi was beginning to think that Soi really was there, could almost swear she felt the contour of her shoulders and back between her arms, her warm breath along the back of her neck, whispering her name over and over in that voice that said she saw no one in the world but her. But it WAS just the shirt, and after a few reluctant moments her sanity returned, making her pull the clothing away as if she'd been doing something abhorrent.

She immediately held the shirt over the nearby wastebasket, but instead of letting go she could swear her fingers simply gripped it tighter. A few minutes passed, in which the upperclassman stared at it, willing herself to relinquish it, to just let it go, to stop thinking about it once and for all. She nearly cursed aloud as she threw it into the basket with the clean clothes, burying it as she threw the rest of the load on top, doing her absolute best to ignore the fact that all her laundry had started to smell like Soi. Yoruichi vowed to at least stuff it in the back of her closet, hoping that without a visual cue she wouldn't keep getting this gradually powerful ache in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Urahara walked back up the stairs, not needing to be told what had caused such a strong reaction in Yoruichi, knowing that it was something she'd obviously not wanted anyone to see. He said nothing as Yoruichi walked up the stairs with her clothes, pretending to be interested in the weather forecast on the TV even as he caught Yoruichi's surprisingly poor attempt to mask her inner turmoil.

This wasn't right for either of them, for anyone. It killed him to acknowledge that he was actually wanting to let Yoruichi go, the girl he'd held a torch over for so long, but Kisuke knew that something had to be done.


	45. Truth

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 45: Truth

The weather had gotten warmer over the past few days, and with it the restlessness that accompanies high school students so painfully close to graduation that each minute in class seems to drag twice as long as it normally does. And for Yoruichi, it also meant that her departure from Japan was inching steadily nearer. Kuukaku was still angry and refused to speak to her face, but Kisuke told Yoruichi after the Shiba girl had pulled him aside that she shouldn't expect too big a going away gift from her. Yoruichi had only shrugged, muttering that she didn't care either way as she gave a yawn, fighting to keep her eyelids from shutting on her and lulling her to sleep.

Her reluctance of late to go to sleep had begun taking its toll already, spurred on by an incessant flood of images of Soi Fong, which never seemed to leave her alone unless she lacked the energy to even feign coherence. Thus she'd begun running into the early hours of morning, but not like the controlled, graceful sort she employed normally. It was inefficient, forced movement, just trying to get as far as she could, but inevitably ending up in circles, and even then Soi wouldn't go away completely; it served the purpose of numbing her more than anything else. She'd been excited before about her impending overseas trip, but now all she wanted was for it to get here and take her as far away from this place as it could, away from her memories that tortured her without cease.

* * *

"Hey," Kisuke pondered aloud, jarring Yoruichi from her meditative task of playing with the straw in her juice container. "I was wondering when you wanted to have a party-- you know, for your trip."

"No." Kisuke flinched at the dark-skinned girl's rather immediate answer. "...I don't want to."

"B-but it's not like you to miss a chance t--"

"I said I don't want to!" Yoruichi paused once she realized how harshly she'd spoken, almost like a tempramental child. "I... I'm sorry-- I've just been tired lately."

"So I gather," the blonde muttered under his breath. The early spring wind washed over the roof occasionally to balance the warmth of the sun, but to Kisuke it only felt cold, reminded him of how distant from Yoruichi he really was. The next thing he said was innocuous enough, even though he himself knew what it would lead to. "...You're coming over tonight, right? We were gonna try getting through that movie again..."

"...Oh. Yeah, of course," Yoruichi answered listlessly, even thought she'd forgotten altogether.

"All right. It's a date, then." She hoped Kisuke hadn't seen her freeze at his usage of the term, stare numbly off into the distance as the phrase sank in. She hadn't wanted to refer to her get-togethers with Urahara like this, but she supposed that was what they were doing-- dating. Exactly like a boy and girl their age should have been doing, with exactly the proper sort of person. After all, she wasn't as though she was with anyone else. She hated herself for feeling that way, but the very thought made her sick to her stomach.

* * *

The TV provided the only light in the room as it flickered like a lantern, casting technicolor shapes onto the forms of the two sitting before it. Yoruichi knew that it felt all too familiar, lounging on the same couch with Soi after they'd...

_Stop,_ she reminded herself. _Don't think about her--_ even though it felt impossible at the moment. Kisuke glanced at Yoruichi, aware by her restlessness of what was on her mind. He gave a sigh as he stopped pretending to be interested in the images before him, taking a deep breath as he prepared to move forward. He hated himself for doing something like this-- especially when he knew that Yoruichi's heart was somewhere else-- but she was too proud to admit her own mistakes. He had to force her to see what she'd done, make her do something that would be impossible to dismiss or take back. He felt her flinch as he slid a hand along the couch and around her shoulders, pulling her close.

The first thing Yoruichi felt as Kisuke's arm cradled her was the sudden impulse to pull away, but before she took action she stopped herself short. It would look strange to her... boyfriend... to react negatively to his touch, so she swallowed her unease despite the fact that her stomach was churning. She hoped that he wouldn't notice her lack of enthusiasm.

"Yoruichi..." He whispered, almost forgetting himself at actually holding her this way, the want in his voice helping to make his intentions clear. But Yoruichi felt no thrill, no breathlessness at his tone. She simply did her best to mirror the look in his eyes as he moved forward, a bit faster than she'd expected, firmly planting his lips on hers. She felt her mind go blank, but not the way it had with Soi-- where it had felt welcoming, peaceful.

No matter how much she wanted to she couldn't force herself to react the way she knew she should; Yoruichi knew he was a good-looking man, that any girl would kill to be in her shoes now. He was strong and patient and effortlessly charming. Everything a woman could ask for. And yet she couldn't help feeling violated as he touched her, a rough hand sliding down her skin as if to force a reaction, couldn't help wishing that another pair of hands were there instead. But this was what she'd chosen, to push Soi away. She had to live with it, and the thought of a lifetime ahead of herself feeling this miserable only made her stomach protest more.

Kisuke slid his lips along Yoruichi's neck, ignoring her growing signs of unrest, of discomfort. At the moment all he felt was anger, at her for never looking at him the way he'd wanted her to, for not ONCE making an effort to see him as more than a friend. He wanted to hurt her, wanted to force this on her, wanted to believe that by doing this there was the slightest chance that she could grow to love him.

The young woman cringed as fingers ran along her back, lips on her throat.

_Just accept it,_ she tried to assure herself, but it felt hollow, meaningless. This wasn't right. Not what she really wanted at all. _Stop,_ she thought desperately. _Stop stop stop stop stop--_

"Stop."

At the sound of her own voice-- issued unbeknownst to Yoruichi-- she opened her eyes to find that her hands were outstretched, forcing Kisuke at arm's length. Her shirt was bunched up beneath her breasts, the outline of her bra barely visible; the blonde seemed to fall out of a trance at her sudden whispered command, and the hands that had been busy tracing the outline of her body came to an unceremonious rest beside him. Yoruichi's mind raced, the weight of her action coming to force itself fully on her mind. Slowly her hands came back to her, as though she could take back what she'd done with the simple action; she was rapidly searching for words, for some way to allay what she took to be Kisuke's confusion.

"...I-I'm... I... I can't." The silence that followed was one of the harshest and most tormenting Yoruichi had ever endured. She wanted Kisuke to say something, anything that would allow her to keep up the illusion. But by now his frustration had subsided, replaced by a somewhat tentative measure of serenity. "...I'm just..."

"...Tired? Is that what you were going to tell me this time?" Though his voice sounded just a bit hurt, the tone of joviality and understanding he seemed to bear whenever he could tell she was lying was there. It eased Yoruichi slightly, but the overall air of apprehension hadn't died down, leaving her feeling like a cornered animal. She couldn't help wondering if he knew, or how long he had known if he DID, in fact. Urahara sighed, then ran fingers through his long hair, scratching the top to give his nervous right hand something to do. No matter how much he knew this had to take place, he still had been dreading this moment, this talk with his best friend in the world. "...What's really wrong with you, Yoruichi?" After another long pause, he decided to stop dancing around the issue, especially since Yoruichi didn't seem any more eager to bring it up.

"...Are you going to tell me it's about Soi Fong, or are you just going to sit there and jerk me around some more?" Yoruichi flinched visibly at his casual statement, instantly realizing that to lie further would only sink her deeper. But it came out anyway, automatically.

"Nothing's going on." She looked him in the eye, hoping that he would believe her, but his gaze simply pierced her attempts at deceit. "Well, I--..." Yoruichi tried to hold his stare but it overwhelmed her, leaving her feeling self-conscious, naked in a crowd of people. Before she knew what she was doing it was coming out faster than she could think, faster than she could stop it. "Kisuke, I'm sorry, but... But I had to do it."

"Why?"

"Because I... I h-had to protect her. S-she shouldn't have been around me and I shouldn't have let it happen, but it did and... and I HAD to keep her away from me!" She sounded desperate, like she was trying to convince even herself that it was the truth. "I...was just t-trying to protect her."

"Don't bullshit me Yoruichi," Urahara whispered solemnly, more than a little bitterly. "You were protecting YOURSELF."

Yoruichi felt the words sting, bite into her heart knowing they were true, but still she couldn't face it, didn't want to hear it.

"T-That's ridiculous-- I don't have any reason to..."

"Yoruichi..." the blonde whispered, more than a little exasperated, "...You're my best friend. I know you better than... well... almost anyone," he admitted as he shrugged his shoulders. "And not once in the entire time I've known you have you ever had anything close to a relationship. Don't get me wrong," Kisuke corrected himself, "...of course you had your boyfriends and girlfriends and all those people you dragged around... but you never once felt anything for any of them. But her..." he paused, and Yoruichi instantly knew he meant Soi, "... you didn't treat her like the rest. I've never, EVER seen you so happy around anyone as you were with her."

The young woman blinked, stared at her friend. Had she really been so... obvious? It didn't seem right. But then, Soi WAS different. _Special,_ she admitted to herself, feeling that strange tug in her chest as she connected the word to the freshman.

"You were afraid she'd leave you. So... you left her." Yoruichi opened her mouth to protest again, to say that it was the farthest possible thing from the truth, but as she thought about it she realized that he was right. She was so used to being strong, to being dominant, to controlling and manipulating the feelings of others that meeting a girl like Soi-- who was so guileless but so independent-- had felt strange. She knew Soi was strong, and her encounter with the freshman on the stairs had meant that she COULD get along without her. She didn't want her to be like that-- she had really wanted to see Soi in tears, begging for her back into her life, so that she could continue to get what she wanted without having to make an emotional investment of her own. She had never really WANTED Soi to get over her. So what did she want from the girl? As she acknowledged these facts another truth welled up inside her, aching to be accepted, but Yoruichi still put up a desperate fight with it. Instead, Kisuke spoke it aloud.

"...You love her, don't you?"

"N-no. I used her, that's all. I..." Yoruichi tried to continue but her heart told her it was a lie, that it was impossible to have simply USED Soi because she hadn't felt nothing, like she always had. She wondered what she was trying to say as Kisuke's words echoed in her head.

"I just..."

But there was Soi, long before she'd really known her, refusing her hand as she pulled herself off the ground, wiping a hand over her bloody nose, the late afternoon sun casting a haze of orange over her uniform.

An embarassed Soi taking back the lunch she'd had stolen from her, which Yoruichi herself had stuck her neck out to get back.

Soi ignoring her, uncomfortable as Yoruichi invited herself inside, visibly outside her carefully constructed confort zone.

Soi struggling to capture the precision of a new kata, then doing it again with an almost surprising degree of grace and patience.

Soi being led away by Isane into the twinkling lights of the festival, triggering the first pang of real jealousy Yoruichi had ever felt.

Her hesitant smiles, so rare that she went out of her way to encourage them, to see that blank expression light up with joy that felt all too contagious.

Soi's hand in her hair as she tried to fall asleep, the only thing she was aware of beyond her haze of medicine and illness.

Her lips, so startlingly warm and chapped and rough in the chill winter air that she hadn't known what to do, what to say. No-- she HAD known what she wanted, how much she had just wanted to hold her back and kiss her, how gladly she would have stayed in the snow all night if it meant Soi wouldn't stop, but had been too...well, afraid... to do anything. And accompanying each of these memories, so brief but held so deeply in her heart despite her denial, was the feeling again, this time growing too strong, too powerful to ignore.

"I..." the freshman slipped into her thoughts again, and as she held her there every emotion that had been in her way seemed to evaporate in the gentle gaze of her eyes. Except for one, and it hit Yoruichi like a ton of bricks.

_I really do..._

"Oh, God..." Yoruichi whispered, a hand finding its way to cover her mouth, as though afraid to say such a foreign set of words aloud. But it was too late to fight, had been too late for so much longer than she'd let herself see. Soi was swimming in her blood now, as much a part of herself as breathing, and she felt her heart ache as she did so; Soi's absence tearing at something deep within the upperclassman. Kisuke made to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder but hesitated, thought better of the gesture as he saw the visibly crushed, vulnerable look on Yoruichi's face, her heart broken before she'd let herself realize how far she'd fallen.

"There's still time, you know." To her surprise Yoruichi chuckled bitterly at him, as if he'd been taunting her on purpose.

"Kisuke... I can't." She didn't deserve it, that happiness Soi had given her so freely, the love that she'd poured her whole body and soul into, offering it without any hesitation. Yoruichi didn't know how to do that, to suddenly be a girlfriend to someone, to love her the way she deserved to be. "...She should have someone better."

"Who do you think you're trying to kid? The Yoruichi I know wouldn't just give up like that." The girl was silent, chin resting morosely on her knees as she stared at the now-blank television screen. "You need her, Yoruichi. Don't let her go. You have to show her... how much she matters to you." Yoruichi sighed, took a moment before she spoke again, this time her voice small and quiet; afraid to ask what had been on her mind all along.

"What if... she says no?"

"...If you really love her, you'll trust her. And if she feels even half of what you do... she'll find a way to forgive you." Kisuke got off the couch, feeling rather ashamed of himself as he headed toward the front door.

"Kisuke." He paused but didn't turn at Yoruichi's sudden exclamation. He simply waited for her to speak.

"I...I'm sorry."

She bit her lip, hoping for him to turn and tell her it was all right, but he only gave what looked like a nod before opening the door and walking out, shutting it behind him. Yoruichi threw her head back, sighed bitterly at the ceiling as she was left alone with her feelings, so long held back. It hurt to think about her friend now, but he was right.

She DID love Soi. But what scared her the most was that she might be more in love with Soi than Soi was with her.


	46. Embraceable You

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 46: Embraceable You

Soi heaved a sigh as she turned her final in, feeling no better about her essay section regardless of the fact that she'd triple-checked spelling and facts. Most of her classmates had already left for the day, making her feel a little more self-conscious about how successful she'd been, but after a while the freshman sighed, expelling her anxiety as she tried to prepare herself for a whole day of freedom that would normally be reserved for school. She heard a few stragglers that she passed by talking about summer break already, their plans to work or take a family trip or else fretting about the next set of tests tomorrow. As she stood at her locker putting books away, she caught a hint of dark hair and recently-smoked cigarettes, and gave a smile upon turning to find the Shiba girl hovering over her.

"Kuukaku! How are you?"

"Can't complain, I guess," Kuukaku lied, still deciding whether or not she wanted to go ahead with this. She hated Yoruichi for putting her in this position, but if it ended up making Soi happy then it was probably for the best. "Hey, Yoruichi wanted to know if you could come over on Friday." It took Soi a moment to process the request; she hadn't seen Yoruichi since they'd 'met' on the stairs a while back, not even in the company of Urahara. To be honest, it was easier for her to deal with things that way, when Yoruichi was out of sight and out of mind, and though she'd never really strayed from her thoughts altogether it had helped her to keep up her mask. Soi hoped that she didn't sound...emotional... when she replied.

"Wh-what does she want me for?"

"She wouldn't tell me," Kuukaku answered, deciding only to tell the girl a half-truth. "Go see her on Friday. She said it was important."

"...Why couldn't she tell me herself?" the freshman queried, a bit put off at being treated as though she wasn't worthy of being spoken to directly.

"She's busy helping Kisuke move his stuff into her house. Not like THAT," Kuukaku corrected as she caught the suspicious look on Soi's face at the statement. "...He's just going to stay there while she's away. You know, keep the house safe."

"...Oh."

"Actually," the older girl whispered, leaning in towards her, "...I heard that things aren't working out between them."

"Wh...What do you mean by--"

"Later," Kuukaku said with a wave as she walked off, Soi wondering just what she'd been implying in that statement. But she shook her head, cursing herself for allowing to get even a little optimistic. She couldn't help wondering what Yoruichi could want to talk to her about, and though she had a rather hopeful idea she brushed it away with a sad sort of laugh, certain that it would never happen.

* * *

"Well, it looks like you've got a couple days," Kuukaku muttered as she walked alongside the dark-skinned senior, her relatively empty bookcase swinging freely back and forth in the slight wind. Yoruichi nodded, deep in thought until her friend spoke again. "...I don't get why you're not just going up to the kid yourself. She DESERVES to know after the way you treated her."

"You think I don't know that?" Yoruichi grumbled, her eyes flitting around to the sidewalk and at the perfect rows of houses they passed. As much as it had been difficult to ignore her feelings before, it was almost unbearable now that she understood what was going on in her own head, that her affection for Soi wasn't something she needed or even should be hiding. But she had to do this right, had to think about what she would say, if she should gradually bring this up in a way that would make Soi comfortable. She'd already started going over scenarios in her head, ways to catch Soi off guard, maybe get her to reveal that she still cared about her instead of all the weight being put on her.

It didn't help that time was running out-- her plane was leaving early Tuesday, the day after graduation. To be honest, part of her was still wanting to keep this a secret, hoping it would fade eventually when she left. But she had been evasive too long. She needed to tell her the truth, if only so Soi would know that her feelings weren't wasted.

* * *

There was a knock on her door a few hours after classes, and finals, had ended on the day before the weekend. Yoruichi took a breath, steeling herself for what she knew was coming, then let it out as she allowed Soi entrance. She'd almost forgotten that ache in the pit of her stomach until she'd come face-to-face with Soi again, but fortunately she recovered before the freshman even noticed.

"Hi, Yoruichi-san!" The older of the two smiled back, not showing the slight sting at being called by that formal title again. "Um... Kuukaku said you needed to see me?"

"Oh... yeah. Soi, I just..." Yoruichi tried to remain calm but all the plans and strategies she'd thought up on how to deal with this flew out the window, leaving her like an explorer without a compass. All she was aware of was how badly she wanted to hold the girl in front of her, the gnawing want in her chest as her heartstrings twinged. She wasn't ready to go into this now-- she felt too disoriented after seeing Soi again to put her thoughts together. "...I was wondering if you could help me move some things up to the attic? I'm afraid Kisuke won't have much use for them anyway."

Soi felt a little annoyed now-- that after all this Yoruichi would call her just as cheap labor-- but since she was already here, and since she had something for Yoruichi anyway, she nodded and followed as the older girl lead the way to the living room.

Though she now had a few more hours to think, Yoruichi felt even more stifled by the utter silence that filled the house now. Soi was almost treating her like a stranger, not speaking unless it was to ask where a box would be best suited or offering a hand when she was carrying a rather awkward-looking chest of drawers. She felt Soi's hand brush hers and the electric shock that followed, its newfound potency over her equalled only by its seeming lack of effect on the freshman.

"Man, that was heavy!" Soi groaned as they sat in the kitchen, drinking from a small store-bought carton of lemonade, Yoruichi ignoring the milk for once to do the same. "I thought you weren't the type to keep useless crap around the house, Yoruichi-san."

"Well... most of it belonged to my parents. I just never bothered to move it before now." Soi nodded, and the kitchen again became still. It was hard to believe that the space of the table between them was only a few feet; to Yoruichi it may as well have been a mile for all her hesitance. This small talk-- trying to pretend that she was just trying to keep things friendly between her and Soi-- was killing her. She wanted to reach across and touch her, wanted to hold Soi in her arms and never let go again, to feel the warmth of that small frame pressed against her own. It struck her suddenly how cruel this must have been on Soi, suffering alone with her presumedly unrequited feelings long before they'd come to this.

"Yoruichi-san, could I ask you something?" Soi asked out of the blue.

"Huh? Oh, sure..."

"...Is it true that you and Urahara-san are having...problems?" The freshman winced once the question had escaped her lips, aware that it was a rather personal inquiry just as she was baffled by WHY she would have asked in the first place.

"...Actually... we broke up last week." Soi felt a strange thrill run through her at the news, instantly hating herself for such a feeling of ecstacy. Did Yoruichi still have that much of a hold on her that she believed... No. Not anymore. She had been a fool, and Yoruichi had thrown him away just like her. A Goddess couldn't love, she thought darkly. They only had servants. Toys.

"Oh. ...I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"No. It wasn't really right for either of us. I had..." Yoruichi glanced directly at her before trailing off, the Chinese girl feeling a spark at the look; it made her wonder just what Yoruichi 'had' that would have made her break up with Kisuke so suddenly. She ignored the small flame of hope that stubbornly kept flaring up inside her.

"Um... is there anything else we left in the other room?" Soi spoke up, eager to change the subject.

"No, it's okay-- it's mostly smaller boxes. I can get them myself."

"Hey, didn't you want to talk to me about something?" Yoruichi paused, glanced into her glass, pretending that she was avoiding Soi's questioning gaze to take interest in the half-melted ice cubes floating in her drink.

"Oh, uh... It's funny, I forgot." She gave a little chuckle as if it had been no big deal, which she was grateful Soi bought, heading for the door. As she slipped on her shoes Soi made a little gasp of recollection, then began searching through her bookcase until she found a sealed envelope.

"Ah, I almost spaced it-- Yoruichi-san, this is for you. I figured it was better to give it to you now then to forget later."

The upperclassman stared at the nondescript envelope, hesitant to take it at first. Had she done something recently that warranted a gift, especially one from Soi?

"Um... what is it?"

"Well, a few things," Soi admitted with an embarrassed smile, unaware that she'd just made Yoruichi's pulse race a little faster. "...Sort of a 'graduation/going away/thank you' present. It's just... my gratitude for you looking out for me this year." Yoruichi glanced at the gift, unsure of what to say or if she should refuse it, when she looked up to find Soi already waving goodbye from beyond the doorway.

* * *

She wasn't sure why she waited-- perhaps it was the creeping dread that by opening it she was saying goodbye to the freshman forever-- but an hour later Yoruichi finally tore a hole along the top, pulling out a store-bought card and a smaller square of folded paper, bulging slightly at its center and surprisingly heavy. Setting the square aside for the time being she read the front of the card. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but a mass-produced message of 'congratulations' hadn't been it; it was almost as depressing as the handful of American 20 dollar bills inside. Had she come to mean so little to Soi now that she could give such a... meaningless thing to her? She had no need of money, but at least it might pay for a meal out or at the movies between her classes once she reached the U.S.

It didn't mean anything, but what could she expect? She had no right to deny that something so superficial suited her. Any hopes that the smaller package would make her feel better were instantly obliterated the second she unfolded the paper and saw a flash of ruby and silver land on the table with a clink. The necklace, the one she'd given Soi to replace the destroyed one of her mother's. It felt like a shot directly through her heart, so much so that she didn't notice at first that on the paper was written a note, in Soi's tiny and meticulous writing.

Yoruichi-san,  
I know this may seem strange, but I wanted to return this to you before you left. I appreciate the gesture, but the truth is that my mother's is gone. It was silly of me to keep it so long, like I could somehow keep her alive while I wore it. But I think now I can let it go, let her find peace so that she won't always be worrying about me. I'm sure that this cost you a small fortune, so please don't hesitate to get it sold once you reach America. I'm sure that you could use the cash-- things are pretty expensive from what I've heard. Please take care of yourself.

-Soi

Yoruichi read the note again and then a third time, unaware of how violently her hands were shaking, how deeply those words shook the very core of her. It had never been to replace Soi's mother, Yoruichi realized. It had just been for her, because she'd looked so happy when she'd seen it again, because it looked so beautiful hanging from her neck, because deep down she'd known she'd gladly spend every last Yen she had if it made Soi smile. Without another thought she grabbed the necklace and ran for the door.

* * *

"I'm coming, I'm coming," the freshman insisted as she set the dishes from her microwaved dinner in the sink. She wished her father wasn't working late again tonight-- he knew how to deal with late-afternoon salesman better than she did. "I wish you people would just leave us alo--"

Yoruichi was on the front step, barely an inch from her, shoulders heaving as she struggled to breath after clearly having run the whole way. For a while she just stood there, trying to slow the pounding of her heart even after she'd lessened her huffing and puffing.

"Yoruichi-san, are you all right?"

No. She'd NEVER been all right-- just believed that it was normal to go through life, feeling only the slightest and most obligatory of emotions. But never this-- this flood that overwhelmed her, threatened to sweep her under and drown her as she held the necklace in her hand tighter, like a life preserver. But it wouldn't hold her forever, didn't offer any real shelter.

"Um... I can get you some water and we can talk if there's something bothering you..."

She'd been so afraid of this-- of surrendering that last inch of herself completely to these feelings-- that it seemed so pointless now to fight it, to even pretend that there was a wall protecting her that Soi hadn't already shattered.

Soi was getting worried, confused by the look in Yoruichi's eyes... so vulnerable, so passionate and almost helpless that for a minute it didn't seem like her at all.

"Please... tell me what's wrong."

With that, Yoruichi let the flood take her away.

The freshman tried to speak again only to find herself crushed against Yoruichi, a shocked gasp escaping her lips as strong cocoa arms wrapped around her, holding her so tightly that she feared she couldn't breathe. Soi tried to think, to process this sudden change in behavior but only felt the older girl's gasping chest on her own, a cheek pressed hard against her hair.

Yoruichi shuddered in spite of herself. She couldn't believe that she'd denied herself this warmth, this utter euphoria for so long. She let her fingertips become reacquainted with Soi, the desire to melt into her and never be seperate again taking precedence over everything else in her mind.

"Y-Yoruichi--"

"I love you."

Soi felt the world stop turning at that moment, her heart pause completely. The senior realized what she had said but felt no shame, the words she'd been holding back so long now tumbling out with glorious abandon. She ran a hand through Soi's short hair, savoring the silken texture against her hand. Finally Soi's shock became too much, and speech escaped her lips.

"...What?"

Yoruichi wanted only to repeat it now, to shout it to the world, to herself, to the stars themselves that she worshipped this girl, a girl who no one else could see the way she did. But this time, she decided to only speak loud enough for Soi to hear.

"...I _love_ you, Soi."


	47. The Heart of the Matter

The Cat and the Bee

Chapter 47: The Heart of the Matter

Yoruichi didn't give Soi anytime to think, to process what she'd just declared. She simply pulled the girl's face towards hers, lightning running through her veins as she wrapped her lips around the Chinese girl's. Like last time she felt the overwhelming dizziness, the growing desire, but this time she made no attempt to subdue it, attribute it to something else. She pulled Soi even closer as she felt her lips wandering, coming to rest on the curve of that pale neck.

"Y-Yoruichi..."

Soi struggled, her thoughts uncertain. This was all she had ever wanted, for Yoruichi to see her and want her like this. She should have been happy. She should've been savoring this, returning her affection instead of just standing rooted in place like a tree. But as the older girl continued her fevered, ecstatic exploration of her, Soi felt her confusion die down, replaced by anger.

"...YORUICHI, STOP IT!"

It took a moment for the senior to hear the words, since the first thing that actually broke Yoruichi's trance was the sudden jolt of force, of hands pushing her back into the door. There was an absolute halt of time as they stood frozen, Soi realizing what she'd done and Yoruichi trying to comprehend what was going on. It took the older girl a moment to find her voice.

"...Soi...Why are--"

"Why am I WHAT, Yoruichi?" The older girl bit her lip, the venom in the other's tone deadlier than she'd expected. Soi had turned to look at the wall, no visible anger on her face, as if she was trying to hold it in even now. "...What is it that I'm doing...that's SUCH a shock that you can't even say it out loud?"

Yoruichi opened her mouth, but unlike so many times before no words came to her. She had expected perhaps a little resistance, maybe some tears...but not this degree of subdued fury.

"Do you really think that little of me? That as soon as you get tired of Urahara, I'm supposed to be HAPPY when you decide to show up? That because YOU feel this way now that I'm supposed to say, 'Oh, Yoruichi-san! Of course I'll take you back! I'm just a stupid little girl who doesn't have a single shred of integrity or... or autonomy or anything like that!' IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK I AM, YORUICHI? YOUR LITTLE FUCKING PET?!"

Soi wasn't holding anything back now as she advanced on Yoruichi, save for the slight dampness on the brim of her eyelids, which only served to make the fire of her steel irises harder to take. Yoruichi knew she deserved this, that she'd been foolish to think that Soi would capitulate to her so easily, but even so she reached out a hand, running her fingers gently along Soi's shoulder.

"Soi, wait..."

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" the freshman screamed as she knocked the hand away, a look of slight guilt there for a moment before she turned away again, though this time her profile was still visible. Yoruichi reluctantly pulled back, biting her lip as she struggled to put her thoughts into words.

"...I know that I hurt you, Soi. And I'm sorry, but... do you really think this is easy for me? Do you think that I just...say this to anyone? I wanted to be with you for so long, but... I just got so scared that I..."

"Since when are you afraid of anything?" Yoruichi idled, not answering the rather dark question.

"...Soi..." she whispered, drawing close to the girl, so close that she wanted to hold her again, but her hands didn't move. She didn't trust them to keep it so simple. "...I really do love you, and... I wanna be with you. I've never...ever felt this way about anyone. And...you love me too, I KNOW you do."

She felt a little rush of hope at the softening of Soi's eyes, a brief glimpse of the look she'd always given her before. When Soi opened her mouth, her voice was hard, but laced with a tremble that betrayed what her face did not.

"Of course I do. Yoruichi...I always loved you. But... but you never... bothered to..." Soi held back a sniffle, aching to simply burst into tears and go back into Yoruichi's arms, now that she knew she'd be welcome there. But she couldn't let Yoruichi think she'd simply continue to be pushed over or used like that. She wanted to hurt Yoruichi, wanted to make her understand exactly how she'd felt the moment she'd walked in on her with her arms around Kisuke. The Chinese girl let out a sigh as she backed away slightly from Yoruichi. "I'm tired, Yoruichi-- tired of all this time of lying and hiding and all these bullshit excuses-- that we've BOTH used, and I--" After a deep breath, Soi shook her head in the direction of the front door, her voice little more than a broken tremble. "...I want you to leave."

"Soi..."

"I'm serious, Yoruichi. Go and don't come back."

The upperclassman froze, the words tearing into her, giving her the strange feeling that this was a dream. It had to be. Soi wouldn't do that to her. Not now.

"...I can't." She grabbed Soi, held her again, sliding her hands along that small face, the curve of her shoulder, the indescernable dip of her stomach. "Soi, I just..." Unable to bear any more, she slid a hand behind Soi's head, pulling her lips close once again, but again Soi broke the embrace.

"I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU LIE TO ME AGAIN!" When Yoruichi didn't move, Soi pushed her back, and when the older girl advanced again Soi did the only thing her disheveled senses could consider, and ran. She let her feet carry her into the kitchen, Yoruichi close behind, but before the senior could catch up Soi threw herself into the bathroom, locking it shut behind her.

"Soi, open this door!" Yoruichi yelled as she fought with the brass knob, which shuddered defiantly in her hand.

"SOI, I'M SORRY! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!"

When no response came she pulled harder, feeling it creak from her strength but retain its shape, refusing to give.

"DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP BEING FRIENDS WITH KISUKE?! DO YOU WANT ME TO STAY HERE?! TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT AND I'LL DO IT, JUST PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR AND TALK TO ME!" Yoruichi wasn't aware of how weak her voice had become as she abandoned pretense and began pounding on the door, at first with violent desperation that quickly dwindled into halfheartedly slamming her fist against the wood. She was suddenly aware that it was hard to breathe, that she felt like her heart might explode in her chest, her voice hoarse and strangled.

"...Please... don't shut me out." Finally, the lack of any noise but an echo seeping through the crack of the door sunk into Yoruichi's brain, and all at once her strength left her, her body become too heavy for her; she felt gravity drag her to the floor, her hands sliding uselessly along the woodwork, dipping automatically with the simple design carved into the door. She could've broken it with a single kick, sent it flying into a cloud of splinters. At the moment, it might as well have been made of steel.

The sensation that her lungs were working overtime hit Yoruichi again as she leaned her head pathetically against the door. Inside her chest, her heart felt like it was being ripped out, slowly and torturously. And somehow it hit her, in that moment, that it really was over. She expected to burst into tears, but all she felt was numb; the place at the center of her chest aching but shriveling up, disappearing.

Yoruichi tried to remember why she had done this, why she'd broken Kisuke's heart and her own heart and Soi's heart for all this.

And then she remembered. For her pride. Because she had wanted to be strong. Hadn't wanted to depend on, or need anyone.

The girl felt herself laugh bitterly, the sound forced. What had her pride ever done for her, but get her into trouble? What had her strength ever gotten her, save for making her build walls around herself?

She'd hurt the only people she ever loved, ever cared about, because it had been too difficult to just be honest with herself.

"...Please..."

Yoruichi was aware, if distantly, of her body sliding to the floor completely, lying on the cool linoleum of the kitchen. She vaguely remembered promising herself that she'd stay here until Soi came out, but the strain of breathing and the dead weight in her chest overwhelmed her, and she drifted into a daze. Inside, Soi sat on the floor, her head between her knees as she curled up a little tighter, uncertain of what to do.

* * *

The upperclassman wasn't sure how many hours had passed, how long her mind had been drifting when she suddenly became aware of wood bumping into her head. Instinctively Yoruichi forced herself up, an ache returning in her heart as she looked to find Soi, half between leaving the bathroom and staying, her eyes soft and her face passive. For a minute neither of them moved. Yoruichi opened her mouth, wanted to say something. Anything. But suddenly she found her face in Soi's shoulder, slender arms wrapped around her neck, the girl's chin resting on her collarbone.

"Soi, I--"

"...I know. I know you do, Yoruichi," Soi admitted as she squeezed the older girl tighter to herself. She had tried so hard to believe that she could be rid of Yoruichi, that she no longer maintained that hold on her being. But hating Yoruichi-- for real-- was simply something she couldn't do. She'd never stopped loving her, but the hurt had blinded her, made her forget. And no matter what Yoruichi did she couldn't bear to hold it against her, not when the look in her eyes now was so far from the teasing and condescending twinkle that had been there before.

"Yoruichi..." the girl whispered as she ran a hand gently through the long strands of the senior's hair, a smile barely on her lips as familiar words passed from them, "...You don't have to be so strong all the time."

And then something in Yoruichi snapped. She felt a little startled as her voice collapsed into an odd stammering of sobs, tiny wet drops of salt water sliding unheeded from topaz eyes and onto Soi's shirt. Her hands grabbed at the cloth, bunching it up between her fingers on the girl's back as Yoruichi wept. Unfamiliar with the act, Yoruichi only held Soi tighter as the tears flooded out of her now, refusing to halt in the slightest. She felt like a little girl-- small and helpless and weak-- as Soi held her and knew that she must look pathetic, pouring her soul out as everything she'd kept buried down over the course of her life seemed to well up in her at once, but she didn't care.

Yoruichi felt, finally, like she'd regained a piece of herself, one that Soi had stolen away, or rather one that had been absent for her whole life but that only this girl had made her aware was missing. And though neither of them spoke through Yoruichi's catharsis she knew that Soi, gently continuing to hold her, felt the same.

* * *

Zhou sighed as he stumbled into the house, fatigue temporarily rendering him unaware of his surroundings. Atleast they'd be ready for court on time, he thought grimly as he considered the lazy partner he'd been assigned to. He slipped his shoes off at the door, thinking about how much carpooling was killing him, then set his coat leisurely on the hook by the front door.

"Soi-chan? Are you still awake?" He knew he shouldn't have expected a response this late at night, but he supposed it couldn't hurt to check. Sure enough, he walked into the living room, squinting in the darkness to find the TV off, and...

He almost gasped, more from surprise than anything else, as what was laying on the couch came into focus. There was Soi, and nestled behind her was Yoruichi, arms wrapped around her thin waist, Soi's back to her and the older girl's head leaning gently on his daughter's pale neck.

For a moment he stood there; he knew he said he'd been all right with this knowledge, of who Soi had decided she was, but somehow, seeing this-- and with the girl who'd broken her heart, no less-- made him more than a little uncomfortable. It wasn't as though he'd walked in on them naked, but somehow this seemed no less inappropriate, like he was standing in on an intimate moment. He wanted to say something, wanted to wake them up, wanted to tell Soi that it wasn't right for her to throw herself back to this other girl.

But as he leaned forward the floorboards creaked slightly under him, and the sound registered with Yoruichi, who wound her arms a little tighter around Soi in her sleep, a few tears escaping her closed eyes. Zhou wasn't sure how long he stayed in place, eyes glued to the dark hands gripping Soi, protectively and yet helplessly, and then at his daughter's strange expression of peace, of absolute contentment.

He said nothing as he walked away, coming back a few minutes later to drape a thin blanket over the girls, a sad smile crossing his lips as Soi snuggled closer to the sleeping form behind her, unable to shake the feeling that she was no longer just his little Soi-chan anymore. He laid the slightest peck on her cheek, then walked to his room, wiping away the single tear that threatened to betray his feelings.


	48. Unfamiliar Territory

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 48: Unfamiliar Territory

It was still dark when Soi woke up, shifting slightly on the couch before she remembered there was someone else with her. It felt so strange, being held like this by Yoruichi, that head still lying in the crook of her neck. Not wanting to disturb the upperclassman, she scooted back slightly, just enough to be reminded of Yoruichi's warmth. In spite of everything she feels no remnants of anger, no bitterness to ruin this moment with her. It feels at once like something so small and yet more important than anything else. A strange sort of impulse claims her, and she tilts her head back to peck the older girl's cheek.

"...A little forward this morning, aren't we?"

Soi couldn't help but gasp as she looks at Yoruichi properly, finding that pair of brilliant topaz orbs gazing gently down at her, a serene smile-- the first of which she's ever seen on Yoruichi's perpetually teasing and sneering face-- sending a chill through her.

"Yoruichi... H-how long have you been awake?"

"Not too long..." the older of the two whispers huskily, planting the lightest of kisses on Soi's forehead, her lips lingering as she breathes in that wonderful scent again, half-wondering if she drifted back to sleep and might be dreaming. Soi smiles, the hint of blush visible on her cheeks even in the pre-dawn glow of sky peeking in through the curtains. It's too much for Yoruichi to just sit there staring, and so she curls over Soi, kissing the back of her neck, each temple, her jaw, an eyebrow-- memorizing every inch of that face with her lips. She's never been a sentimentalist, but suddenly Yoruichi understands what it means to want for time to stand still.

She feels a tremor run through her as Soi's arm hooks under hers and slender fingers entangle themselves in her hair, the touch unsettling Yoruichi though she now welcomes it. She leans down, her lips aching for Soi and unable to wait.

"D-Dad?!"

At the sudden outburst Yoruichi yelped, nearly losing her balance but managing to grab onto the back of the couch behind her; pulling herself up the young woman finds Soi's father coming downstairs, speechless as his hand sits frozen in the act of adjusting his tie.

"W-what are you doing up this early on a Saturday?" Soi muttered as she buttoned up the part of her shirt Yoruichi had managed to undo while she wasn't looking. Zhou averted his gaze from the sight of his daughter entangled in Yoruichi's limbs, though he had to remind himself once more that there was nothing terribly bad to be looking away from. He supposed that he'd have to get used to this eventually.

"Well...I got asked to work some overtime today. so..." Soi nodded her understanding, turning sporadically to Yoruichi only to find her with her gaze turned guiltily sidelong, as if she'd gotten her hand caught in the cookie jar. "Well...good morning, girls," the patriarch finally said with a bit of a forced smile, walking into the kitchen for a quick breakfast.

"Well...guess I'll keep my hands to myself for now..." Yoruichi said quietly, looking a bit shaken from being caught with Soi. The younger girl caught the mischevious smile on her face, though, but before she could say anything the grumbling of her stomach beat her to it.

"Hungry?" The taller girl asked with a bit of a laugh in her voice.

"...Yeah."

* * *

Soi forced the corn flakes down her throat, thankful that her stomach could handle something when it was already churning from this eerie sort of excitement. It didn't help that Yoruichi kept stealing not-so-subtle glances at her from across the table, though she was pleased to find that doing the same caused a similar distress in the upperclassman, who'd meet her gaze for a few moments before pretending to be interested in the maze on the back of the cereal box. 

On the other side of the table Zhou sat nursing a cup of coffee, the lack of milk making the scent of beans even stronger. He glanced at his daughter, doing her best not to look ecstatic, then at the light and dark hand intertwined between her an Yoruichi. He was quiet for a moment before finally speaking.

"Soi-chan...I'd like to talk to your...girlfriend for a moment, if you don't mind." Neither makes any sign of overwhelming dread, but Soi's hand does grip Yoruichi's a little tighter, while the senior makes a sound like she's struggling to swallow the cereal in her mouth.

"Uh...No, that's no problem, Dad..."

"I meant alone. It won't be long." The freshman spared a glance at both of the room's other occupants, at the steely gaze with which he'd affixed Yoruichi, before sliding out of her chair and walking out of the kitchen.

For a while they just sat there, Zhou running a finger idly about the rim of his mug, Yoruichi waiting patiently for him to speak. Did he know about Soi? Was he angry? Would he ask her never to touch his daughter again?

"...Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick you out of this house right now."

Yoruichi felt her heart sink. She didn't want to be parted from Soi like this-- didn't he understand how Soi-- how SHE-- felt?

"Fong-san...Please, I know that this is probably a shock to you, but there's nothing wrong with Soi. She's just--"

"You think I'm talking about that?" Zhou interrupted, a sliver of anger clear in his voice when he spoke again. For her part, Yoruichi wasn't sure what to think. "...You broke my little girl's heart. I don't know what kind of sick enjoyment you get from toying with people like that, but it's not right. Now unless you plan on cueing her in this time, I suggest you leave now and not come back."

"Listen... I hurt Soi and for that I can't expect to be completely forgiven. But...please believe me when I tell you that your daughter means the world to me."

"Why?" he asked, skeptical. "Why should I believe that any more than she should? Explain yourself."

Yoruichi sighed, leaned her head against her hand on the table. How could she explain this-- that Soi was everything to her now? That Soi felt like her sister, her friend, her companion and lover all at once, that she had gained something resembling wholeness that she'd never known in her life before?

"I...I can't," she admitted weakly. "...I just...I love Soi. I'd do anything for her. I know that I've been terrible to her, but... I just can't even do THAT anymore." She made eye contact, finally, with Zhou, biting her lip slightly as he studied her. After a moment his expression softened, and Soi's father gazed into the reflection barely visible in his coffee cup.

"It's just been me and Soi-chan for so long. Six long years. And...as bad as it was for me to see my wife go... it was so much harder on Soi. And the worst thing was that she wouldn't say anything about it-- she never let me see her cry. I couldn't let her bear it alone, but she did-- and she became so strong because of it. So for her to cry the way she did... over you..." Zhou let out a strangled gasp, hiding the saddened look on his face by running a hand over his brow. "...You'd better be good to her," Zhou finally whispered. "If I EVER see that look on her face again because of you... I'll make sure you pay for it."

Yoruichi nodded.

"Then you won't ever need to."

A few minutes later Zhou finished his coffee in a single swig and left for work. Soi walked in shortly thereafter and upon seeing the distant look on Yoruichi's face, asked her what was wrong. But she only smiled, soothed by the younger girl's presence, and told her that everything was fine.

* * *

"So... what do you want to do?" Soi asked nervously as she walked down the stairs in a t-shirt and worn blue jeans. "I was thinking that since it's Saturday we could go get some ice cream... or we could--" 

"How about we stay here today?" The freshman blinked, tried to pretend she hadn't just caught the slight suggestive lilt in Yoruichi's voice.

"Uh...but don't you want to enjoy the town before you go? You might not see it for a while..." Yoruichi didn't directly answer the question; she simply wrapped her arms around the tiny body before her, planting a row of kisses that started at the small patch of skin visible around the neckline of Soi's shirt. She didn't have the heart to tell Soi that she didn't care about that-- she'd missed out on too much time that could have been with her to lose it again. Soi was just about to lean back into her when the sound of someone knocking at the door broke the stillness of the house. They both let out a groan (Yoruichi a bit more so) as Soi extricated herself from the older girl's grip, heading straight for the source of the ruckus.

"Soi! Listen, I need to talk to you about Yoruichi," Kuukaku instantly began as soon as the freshman opened the door to her, her mouth half-open in a vain effort to get a word in. "...I just went by her house and she SAID she was gonna talk to you but I think she ran out of town, the bitch, so I'm here to tell you that you need to find her because she's crazy about you an--"

"Hi, Kuukaku."

The eldest Shiba daughter froze, jaw halfway to the sidewalk as she saw Yoruichi come out from behind Soi, wrapping an arm affectionately around the shorter girl. It took Kuukaku a moment to realize that Soi was doing her best to avoid smiling like an idiot, which in turn caused a grin of her own to pop up.


	49. Choices

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 49: Choices

"...Wow," Kuukaku muttered once her friend had finished relating the general points of her and Soi's reconciliation, a smirk finding its way to her face as the news sunk in. Yoruichi hadn't told her about how she'd cried into the younger girl's arms, though-- part of her felt like it was a private thing between them, a moment that had cemented a foundation on which their relationship could build. "...I've gotta say, I never thought of you as the 'monogamous' type."

"Hmph. That makes two of us," the dark upperclassman muttered back as she lightly scratched the side of her face. She cast a glance back at Soi's house as she adjusted herself on the front step, then reluctantly turned back around.

"...Soi's a great kid. I'm glad for you," the Shiba woman said with a surprising degree of sincerity. "But... I have to ask what you were going to do."

"Well, not much... I was just planning on spending the evening with her--"

"You KNOW what I mean, Yoruichi." Upon catching the tone in her friend's voice Yoruichi turned to face her, locking eyes with the surprisingly sober Kuukaku before her. "Have you talked to Urahara at all since then?"

"...I'll take that as a 'no,'" Kuukaku said evenly as she assessed the evasive look on Yoruichi's face.

"I just...I don't know what to say to him."

"Well, you apologized, right?" Yoruichi gave a slight nod in response. "Well, then I'm sure he'll be able to forgive you. It sounds like he understood your situation pretty well. And you guys have known each other forever!"

"That doesn't make what I did to him right." Kuukaku groaned as she ran her fingers restlessly through her hair, then let it rest at her side once she'd tired of making herself look even more unruly than normal.

"And what about Soi? What are you going to do about your trip?"

"...I don't know," Yoruichi answered after a few silent moments.

"Well, I'm gonna leave you two alone," the other girl said suddenly as she got herself off the step, brushing off the now-dirty back of her jeans. "But you should think about it, Yoruichi. You don't have very long."

Yoruichi watched her friend go quietly, pondering her final words as she disappeared in the distance.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Yoruichi shook herself out of her reverie at the sound of Soi Fong's voice, smiling at her even as she struggled to keep her hands from making the car stray too far in either direction. She felt a hand lightly fall on her shoulder, fingertips squeezing slightly in concern. The upperclassman's smile got just a little wider at the contact.

"I'm fine...just thinking, is all." Soi grinned herself, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks as she leaned over just enough to rest her head on the older girl's arm.

"So...where did you wanna go so badly?"

Yoruichi said nothing, only allowing a mischevious grin to appear on her lips as she made a right turn, the sign of Homounka visible from their location even without its neon lit. Soi smiled at her, aware of exactly what she had in mind.

* * *

It was dark by the time they returned, Soi opening the front door of her house with an effort as they both struggled to stop laughing, still giddy from the lingering exhilaration hanging over them both. On a whim Yoruichi reached out for the younger girl, twirling her in an exaggerated waltz spin before pulling her back into her arms to dip her down, Soi's face still lit up in a glad smile.

"Well, I guess you're not COMPLETELY beyond hope--as far as dancing's concerned," Yoruichi teased as she let Soi back on her feet, eyes following the girl's lithe form as she adjusted her slightly sagging jeans.

"well, no thanks to you anyway," Soi responded with a wicked grin, but Yoruichi caught her arm and pulled her close again, this time the snug embrace of the tango.

"You know... everyone was looking at you today."

"...And YOU know how I feel about cheap flattery, Yoruichi." Soi was trying her best to keep up her mask of sexual confidence and grace, but the senior's proximity to her threatened to turn her into putty all over again. At least, in this moment it did.

"I'm serious," Yoruichi muttered quietly, leaning in close enough that Soi could see the slight flush on her dark skin, but whether it was from all the exercise or something else Soi couldn't tell. "Even seeing you in street clothes... Let's just say I was having trouble keeping it in my pants." Yoruichi's voice was joking but the look in her eyes said otherwise, and it made a shiver of anticipation run through the younger girl.

In less than a second-- during which an unspoken question was answered with equal silence-- their lips were together, Soi's mouth pressed against an equally enthusiastic Yoruichi's. The younger of the two wrapped her arms around Yoruichi's neck, who was only too happy to pull her closer at the waist, savoring the contours of her hips and the smell and taste of her that left her in that indescribeable haze of bliss. Yoruichi had the strongest urge to whimper but decided that such a girlish noise of euphoria would seem strange coming out of her-- though the constant massaging of her scalp by those slender fingers made her decision a difficult one to keep.

Suddenly Soi withdrew, planting a lighter peck on Yoruichi's lips like it was her trademark, making the senior realize that she was STILL blushing-- but at least, so was Soi.

"...I'll get the movie going, okay?"

Yoruichi felt a stupid sort of ecstacy wash over her as Soi gave her a wink and walked into the living room, like the stomachaches she'd had before but this time it almost made her want to sing, to run after Soi and just smother her with kisses for the rest of her life. The whole thing, of being in a relationship with Soi-- it was all so different from what she'd known before, and made her FEEL different than she ever had. No freedom she'd believed she possessed could ever equal this, the warmth and security and the absolute contentment that only Soi seemed to give her.

But then her thoughts drifted back to what Kuukaku had said. What was it she wanted to do? She wanted to be with Soi, but...somehow, this trip just seemed to stay on her mind. She'd wanted this for so long, but would Soi understand? Could she leave her after all this? And what about Kisuke? She'd tried calling twice already today, but hadn't recieved an answer from anywhere he could be. She at least wanted to be on good terms with him when she left.

"Yoruichi, are you ready?" Soi called suddenly from the living room couch, where the light of the television had already started blinking away.

"Uh," the senior managed, shaking herself out of a trance, "...Yeah, I'll be right there."

* * *

"So," Yoruichi asked suddenly as the movie continued, Soi adjusting herself slightly in her embrace, "...When did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Well, that you...liked me," the dark-skinned woman said quietly into the back of her neck. Soi was quiet for a moment before answering, humming as she searched her memory.

"Um...Well, I guess it was when we all went to the beach over the summer. Do you remember the festival at all?"

"Hmph. I remember waking up the day after with a hangover," Yoruichi grumbled.

"well, you WERE drunk... and I was in the woods, don't ask me why though... And then I found you, and you...kissed me."

"...I WHAT?"

"Yup," Soi responded, holding down a laugh at Yoruichi's shocked and disbelieving reaction. "Pinned me to the nearest tree and just kissed me for about a minute. It was getting to the point where I couldn't breathe-- and quite frankly, you're not a great kisser when you're blitzed."

"Oh, jeez... I can't believe I did something so stupid. NOT kissing YOU," Yoruichi corrected when Soi cast a teasing look of accusation at her. "I just mean... Ah, nevermind." Soi smiled as the senior rubbed her eyes in embarassment. Though it WAS a mistake, it had ultimately led her to this-- to being with her, to a new sense of who she was in relation to the world. It had been sloppy and forceful and Yoruichi had reeked of sake but she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

"Okay, okay... and what about YOU, Yoruichi? When did you fall for little ol' me?" the Chinese girl asked in a sarcastic attempt at coyness.

"...Um... I don't know."

"...You don't know?" Soi responded with a bit of indignance in her voice.

"Well, I just mean...there wasn't really a moment when it happened. I just... I guess if you NEED an answer, it would have to be the first day I met you."

"R-really? You're just saying that," the girl dismissed skeptically.

"Don't get me wrong-- it wasn't anything like 'love at first sight' or something that silly... I was just... It was something about your additude. Not caring whether you got beat up or not, or if someone helped you. I guess... I kinda saw a lot of myself in you. But you were a lot sweeter of a kid then I EVER was," Yoruichi said with a smile as she leaned forward to peck her lover on the forehead, her grip on her shoulder tightening just a little.

"...Yoruichi?" the Chinese girl said without warning.

"Yeah?" The upperclassman loosened her grip as Soi leaned up and put slender lips to her ear, whispering a trio of words that rang in Yoruichi's head, despite the gentleness with which they were conveyed. The love with which Soi had muttered her declaration, as well as the gentle kiss left on her neck as she curled into her arms, sent Yoruichi reeling for about a minute, her heart orbiting the moon and then gliding blissfully back again. She felt disarmed, exposed with the freshman, but as she squeezed the tiny body in her lap closer she was aware that she didn't feel nervous or guilty at all.

Just happy.

"...I'm going to miss you...when you're gone, Yoruichi," Soi said in as quiet a tone, but this time her voice quavered slightly as if she was holding something back. It only took Yoruichi a moment-- for all her earlier indecision and doubt-- to make a decision.

"I'm not going."

"...Huh?" Soi asked in obvious confusion, pushing up slightly to meet Yoruichi's smoldering gaze.

"Soi...I'm not going anywhere. I want to stay...with you."


	50. Over The Rainbow

The Cat and the Bee 

Chapter 50: Over The Rainbow

"Yoruichi! Yoruichi, are you even awake?!"

"Hnnnnm... jus... five more minutes..." the senior muttered incoherently as she wrapped the sheets even tighter about herself, shifting to her side on the couch. Soi groaned, rolling her eyes as she pushed harder against the dark-skinned girl's shoulder, barely sparking a reaction from the slumbering beauty.

Jeez... you STILL sleep like a rock," the Chinese girl quipped as she tore the sheets away in a single movement. "Yoruichi, come ON! We have to get to school!

"Wh...why?"

"Because you're already late, and if you don't get there soon you won't be able to graduate!"

She'd never seen anyone snap to awareness that quickly, Soi considered minutes later as Yoruichi put on her clothes and rushed out the door, followed seconds later by a slightly-better-prepared freshman.

* * *

"What about your uniform? You can't go in there...like that!" Soi managed as she ran, already finding it difficult to keep in step with Yoruichi's longer and more controlled strides.

"N-no time! If they don't like it... well, too bad!" Yoruichi called back as she slowed her pace just enough to let the younger girl catch up with her. They ran in silence for a few minutes before the upperclassman spoke, the strain of extended running finally beginning to make itself clear. "H...hey...about...our talk...now that...you've thought things over...are you s-sure?"

Soi tried to huff a response, but instead ended up clutching the stitch in her chest to indicate that she was in no condition to answer.

* * *

"Shit," Yoruichi whispered as the pair walked finally reached Rukongai, only to find the first floor deserted. "...How late am I?"

"There might...still...be...time...for you to get to your class," the freshman managed as she leaned against a nearby locker, gasping desperately. Soi made to head for her floor but Yoruichi grabbed her arm in midstride, pulling the girl's eyes to her own.

"Just so you know...I'm blaming your Dad for not letting us share the bed."

"If Dad...hadn't caught you molesting me he might have let us," Soi retorted with as sardonic a smile as she could manage. "...I'll see you in the gym, okay?" Despite their obvious lack of time Yoruichi hesitated, holding Soi's arm a little less urgently.

"...Okay," she finally muttered as she headed in the opposite direction, toward the already packed auditorium. When she came through the doors she felt everyone's eyes turn onto her, and though a sudden fear gripped Yoruichi it faded just as quickly when she realized that the ceremony had yet to begin. Walking as quickly as she could without being too much of a distraction, she quickly found her class and slipped into the nearest open seat by the aisle, not noticing who she was seated besides until an all-too-familiar voice hit her.

"You're late."

Registering her long-time friend instantly, Yoruichi turned around slowly, as if expecting him to be angry with her. Instead, the blonde had the slightest hint of a smile on his face, his emerald eyes calm and almost playfully condescending.

"Kisuke!" For a moment she just stared at him, unsure of what to say after so long without speaking to the teen. Biting her lip slightly, she opened her mouth, making sure not to cause any more attention to herself than she already had. "...I..."

"Here. I didn't see you at the house this weekend, so I figured..." She stopped short as he handed her the parcel she hadn't noticed was on his lap, gasping when she opened it to find a neatly folded uniform inside. "We can talk later. But for now, you'd better get dressed."

Even after all this, all that she'd done-- still the same old Kisuke. Yoruichi wanted to hug him, but decided instead to slip out to the bathroom while there was still time.

* * *

Soi looked around as her class proceeded into the gym, her heart giving a jump in her chest as she caught sight of Yoruichi, relieved that she'd somehow managed to get her clothing issue taken care of. At the same time, it occured to her that she'd never see the senior in that outfit again, after only one short year. The whole space of time felt like an illusion, impossible for so much to have changed-- for both of them-- in only 12 months.

"Fong-chan," the boy behind her muttered suddenly, "You're holding up the line."

"Oh!" Soi grimaced as she realized that she'd been staring at her...girlfriend, she supposed. "Sorry!" Quickly taking her seat near the front of the auditorium, the Chinese girl glanced back, towards Yoruichi, contemplating what she'd discussed with the senior.

Before her train of thought could wander too far, Principal Yamamoto stepped up to the stage, and once everyone had respectfully stood and bowed to the patriarch the graduation finally began.

_

* * *

_

_"Yoruichi?"_

_"Hmm?" the older girl mumbled through a mouthful of corn flakes, making Soi supress a chuckle despite her somber tone. "Whad's wrong? You loog ubsed..."_

_"I was thinking about what you said...you know, last night?" At this Yoruichi swallowed, then washed it down with a quick gulp of milk._

_"...Yeah...what about it? I know it's kind of a shock, but I realized that I--"_

_"Yoruichi, listen... I think," Soi said, pausing to take a steadying breath, "...I think that you SHOULD go."_

* * *

"And now," Yamamoto said suddenly, bringing everyone out of the slight stupor they'd been in from his undoubtedly fascinating talk about 'shaping the future citizens of this great nation' and 'the pride of every teacher who sends an educated student out into the world,' "...I'd like to take a moment to honor the student of the graduating class who recieved the highest GPA out of all his classmates. Kisuke Urahara, please come up to the stage."

Yoruichi gaped at the anouncement, wondering if she heard wrong while her friend nearly fell over in his chair, equally disbelieving.

"Huh. Guess I passed those classes after all," Kisuke muttered with a grin as Yamamoto called his name again, and he slipped past Yoruichi, doing his best to ignore the eyes following his every movement up to the stage. Yoruichi smiled, clapping as loudly as she could as he recieved a certificate from the Principal, the rest of the school nearly overpowering her as he came down, trying to hide a rare look of embarassment as he passed his long-time friend.

"Congrats. I always knew you were really a nerd," Yoruichi teased as she playfully ruffled his blonde hair. Just like the old days. Now, she really DID feel like everything was all right between her and Kisuke.

* * *

As the student body stood up as one and sang their Farewell, ushering in the end of the ceremony at last, Soi stole a glance behind her, to the golden eyes framed by dark skin that would no longer walk these halls with her. She smiled-- just a bit-- when Yoruichi locked eyes with her, a silent assurance of her presence visible on whispering lips.

* * *

_Yoruichi blinked, silent for what felt like an eternity as the freshman's words sunk in. She sighed, setting down her spoon to look Soi in the eye._

_"...What do you mean, you want me to go?"_

_"Yoruichi, it's not like that..."_

_"But...I thought you wanted me to stay."_

_"I...I do," Soi admitted sheepishly as she fiddled absentmindedly with her spoon. Yoruichi stuttered for a moment in response, confused by the other girl's seemingly contradictory logic._

_"Then why?..."_

_"I don't want you to give up an opportunity like this because of me."_

_"Soi, I'm not giving up anything that special..." Yoruichi said after a moment, but Soi cut her off._

_"Do you remember when you first told me about that trip?" The senior paused, then nodded when the recollection hit her. "...You looked so happy-- like you'd just won the lottery or something. And it was hard for me, at the time, to imagine you going away or being out of my life for any amount of time. But... I can't be selfish. I want you to be happy too, Yoruichi."_

_"But...I AM happy," Yoruichi insisted, reaching a hand over to squeeze the smaller, pale one lying prone on the table._

_"Yoruichi," Soi whispered as she placed her other palm atop that of the upperclassman, "...If it was me... would you keep me from going? From seeing the world, learning things I couldn't learn here?"_

_It took Yoruichi a long while, a long period of silence to shake her head 'no.'_

_"...Of course not. I... I couldn't hold you back like that."_

_"I feel the same," Soi responded, smiling at Yoruichi even as she felt her eyes begin to itch. "Yoruichi... you HAVE to go. You'll regret this if you don't. And I KNOW that you still want to go."_

_"...Yes," the dark-skinned girl said, barely over a whisper. "Soi, I... I still do." The freshman nodded, doing her best to just keep smiling, bowing her head in the hopes that Yoruichi wouldn't see the tears slowly beginning to crawl down her cheeks. But she made no protest when Yoruichi pulled her close, her warmth allowing a bit of strength to flow back into Soi._

_"Just...just do o-one thing for me..."_

_"Anything," Yoruichi whispered into the younger girl's hair, wanting to do the same but knowing that it wasn't her who was really being the strong one at this moment._

_"...Just write me. N-not often, just once or twice a month...o-or whenever you get the...time..."_

_"Are you kidding? I'm gonna send you so many letters you'll be sick of them."_

_In spite of herself, Soi laughed, and the sound of her sobs mingled with brave chuckling made Yoruichi hold her a little tighter._

* * *

The bell rang, and as if on cue every student in Rukongai High School let out a holler and rushed out of their homerooms, their summer break finally begun. Urahara, if for no other reason than pure nostalgia, glanced about the room, lingering as his classmates left, grinning and trading congratulatory slaps on the back. He was finally about to leave, diploma secured under the crook of his left arm when he looked up, finding Yoruichi leaning against the door.

"Hi, Kisuke."

He found it was a bit harder for him to smile than before, but all the same accomplished the task.

"Well... ready to get outta here? Into the 'real world?'" The cocoa-toned girl cracked a grin.

"Listen, about everything, I--"

"Yoruichi, listen to me," the blonde interrupted, sobering if only slightly. "...You've done nothing terrible, or unforgiveable, or malicious. So don't think for a minute that you need to apologize." The girl nodded silently in response, swallowing her words. The room was silent as she tried to think of something else to say.

"So... If everything was okay... why didn't you call me back? I was trying to...well, make sure you weren't still..."

"Oh-- sorry about that," Kisuke admitted with a grin as he pulled out a folded-up piece of paper from his pocket. "I had to take a trip up to Tokyo; the Entrance Exam postings were released this weekend." Eyes widening at his offhand revelation, Yoruichi took the paper and unfolded it, gasping as she read it over again.

"Th-this is..."

"...I didn't wanna tell you I took the exam 'til I knew for sure, so--!" Urahara was interrupted as Yoruichi roughly threw her arms around him, embracing her friend in a tight hug.

"Kisuke, this is AMAZING! Tokyo University?!"

"Well," he quipped, uncertain of what to do with his hands, "...I figured with you moving on, it was time for me to go too." Yoruichi chuckled, tightening her hold on her friend, head resting slightly on his shoulder.

"...Thank you, Kisuke. For everything."

The blonde said nothing as Yoruichi continued to hug him, just slid his own arms up to return the embrace.

* * *

Soi wandered the halls of the Senior floor, glancing around at the deserted classrooms, the gaggles of upperclassman hanging around, talking, staging mock fights with their diploma holders as weapons. She nearly flinched as she caught Ichimaru and his girlfriend Rangiku leaning against one of the lockers, but to her surprise Gin only spared a glance in her direction, giving the girl the slightest of nods. Rangiku glared at her boyfriend before smiling at Soi, giving her a wave and promising that they'd hang out one of these days, maybe get drunk when she was older.

Soi was polite, as usual, but kept scanning the hallway, not certain of where Yoruichi could be. She smiled as she heard that familiar voice, friendly and just a bit catty, around the corner, and found the no-longer-senior with a gaggle of others, all of them taking pictures and laughing and reminiscing on the past like a bunch of old-timers.

She didn't think it was possible, but Yoruichi's smile widened even more when she caught sight of Soi approaching.

"Hey, Soi-chan!" Kisuke called with an arm draped playfully around Yoruichi's shoulders. "Aren't you ready to go home? Most of the freshman have already left!

"Well, I just..." Soi began, but smiled when she realized she didn't really have a reason. Just to see Yoruichi once more in her uniform before she left, to cement in her mind that all this really had happened.

"Hey, I know!" Urahara said as he disengaged himself from Yoruichi, the friend across from them getting his camera ready for another picture, "...You should get one of you with Yoruichi!"

"Oh no, I couldn't impo--"

"It's a great idea," Yoruichi interrupted as she grabbed Soi's hand squeezing it just slightly as they got into position before Soi could process this unexpected turn of events. She didn't have any pictures of Yoruichi, much less of them together, so she supposed that it would be a nice keepsake.

She wasn't certain of what to do with herself, how close she should be to the one she loved if she was still self-conscious about their relationship. But to her surprise Yoruichi put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close like Kisuke had her, but the constant pressure of her embrace-- something protective and gentle and infinitely loving-- told Soi that it was nothing like her picture with her friends.

Soi hoped she wasn't blushing too hard as the flash went off, freezing the moment in time for eternity.


	51. Epilogue: As Time Goes By

The Cat and the Bee 

Epilogue: As Time Goes By

"Are you okay? You're fidgeting."

It took Soi a moment, glancing down at the hands nervously intertwining and disengaging around her coffee cup that Kisuke was right. She looked over to the young man, nodding as he stroked the stubble on his chin in an air of rather feigned dignity.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the Chinese woman assured him with a slight grin. "Just... a little nervous." To be honest, she'd forgotten this feeling, this growing apprehension that had been so familiar a lifetime ago-- her body was just readjusting to it. Urahara seemed to accept her declaration, as he leaned back in his seat as far as he could (not much considering the rigidness of airport seats) and lowered that damned striped hat over his brow, an indicator that he was done trying to stay awake for now. Waiting here for over an hour could do that even to him, Soi considered with a chuckle, taking another drink as she glanced around the terminal.

Soi wondered if they hadn't somehow ended up in a mall, considering the array of fast-food stands and stores-- actual clothing and music stores, for God's sake. Part of her actually wanted to get up and wander around, but what if the plane arrived and she wasn't ready? Soi was just about to take another sip of her coffee, the scent of french-vanilla creamer wafting up to her nose, when the P.A. spoke, nearly making her spill the hot drink.

"Attention-- Flight 215 from Sydney will be touching down at Gate 12-B. Please prepare your luggage and boarding passes and wait until all passengers have departed before..."

Soi didn't hear the rest as Kisuke stirred beside her; instead the girl glanced around until she found a reflection, patting down her hair where it seemed to stick up. She stared at herself for a moment, absently running her fingers through the tress of dark hair that now rested freely on her shoulders. She wasn't sure what had made her break such a long-standing habit-- the braids that she'd worn since she was nine-- but the feeling that this look was strange had worn off a bit. Maybe at the time...she'd just felt like it was time to change.

At the moment, though, Soi just hoped that _she'd _still recognize her.

* * *

Soi bit her lip as she stared at the crowd slowly coming through the walkway from the airliner, grimacing as she searched vainly for that familiar black hair, held up in a long ponytail.

"See her?" Urahara pondered aloud, as confused as she. He frowned a little more as his companion shook her head.

"I don't get it... She said Flight 215, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then why hasn't she...?" The two nearly jumped as a familiar voice came from behind them.

"Long time no see, you two."

In an instant Soi turned about, her eyes bugging slightly as she felt her heart stop, the same rush of weightlessness hitting her just as strongly as it had before. It took her a moment to recognize the tall, dark-skinned woman, her hair short and cropped now, though in her heart she instantly knew who it was.

"...Hi, Soi," Yoruichi grinned at her as she set her bag down, promptly giving the still-speechless girl a friendly hug, which Soi awkwardly returned. She'd forgotten just how strong those arms were, the texture of the muscles on her back concealed by clothing and an orange windbreaker. She'd just gotten used to the feeling of warmth washing over her all over again when Yoruichi pulled away, turning to her old friend and wrestling him into a headlock he feebly protested.

"OW! N-nice to see you too, Yoru-cha--OWW!"

"Oh, don't act like you didn't expect this, Kisuke," Yoruichi grinned as she roughly ground her knuckles into his mop of blonde hair, unaware of the people casting disapproving looks in their direction. "How have you been? Dropped out yet?"

"Actually--OWW! I...I'm graduating next year," Urahara managed once Yoruichi let him go, now casting an approving glance at her friend.

"Wow... in only five years? That's pretty impressive."

"Well, trust me," Kisuke said knowingly as he picked up his fallen hat, "...You do NOT want to do three years of advanced Med classes."

"Well see, Kisuke? I knew you could do it." Yoruichi smiled at him as she picked up her bag again, following behind him to the parking lot, a pensive Soi bringing up the rear.

* * *

Even sitting in the car, with herself in the back and Yoruichi catching up with Kisuke up front, Soi wasn't sure what she should have expected when Yoruichi returned. Not necessarily a big, movie-style embrace, running toward her in the middle of a crowd, Yoruichi fawning over her and telling her how glad she was to see her again... she hadn't really anticipated any of that, but for Yoruichi to almost brush her off... she felt a little hurt to say the least. While Yoruichi HAD been true to her word and had written her practically every day, over time their correspondence had dwindled to a postcard or two both ways. Soi still had all the letters she'd been sent, carefully wrapped and placed in a shoe box beneath her bed-- more valuable than treasure-- but somehow just reading her handwriting didn't feel like enough.

She'd heard that long-distance relationships didn't work out very often, and maybe it had happened to them already without her knowledge. But before she could think about it anymore she stopped herself. She had to trust Yoruichi, trust that she still loved her after all this time and distance. And even if it had all just faded away, she could still be there for Yoruichi-- no matter what.

"So," Yoruichi said suddenly, turning around and flashing that Cheshire-Cat smile of hers at the freshly graduated Soi, "...How are you now, Soi?"

"A-Alright," the teen managed after tearing her eyes away from Yoruichi's golden ones slightly. "...Dad's doing okay. I still go there every weekend to have dinner with him."

"...Must be weird living all alone. And are you STILL 'undeclared?'"

"I just... I decided that I couldn't be a burden on Dad like that anymore. And besides... I don't need to hear that from YOU."

"Hmph. Touche," Yoruichi admitted with a chuckle as she turned back around in her seat.

"Well, now that you're back in town we need to celebrate," Kisuke declared out of nowhere. "How about I get everyone together for dinner tonight? I think Shunsui and Jyuushiro are open..."

"Are you kidding? I've STILL got jet lag. Let's go tomorrow. I just need to relax," the dark-skinned woman said with a yawn as she stretched out as far as her seat would allow. "Hey Soi-- think you can put me up for the night?"

Soi blinked, surprised by the sudden request, and even more so that she instantly nodded despite her lousy apartment's considerable lack of room. She'd forgotten just what that smile could do to her.

* * *

"Wow... it's really..." Yoruichi mumbled, drifting off as she glanced around Soi's cramped domicile, from the tiny 'living room' and kitchen to the single bedroom and bath nearby.

"Tenement-quality?"

"...I was gonna say 'cozy,'" Yoruichi said with a cocked eyebrow, amused by Soi's quip despite her attempt to appear otherwise.

"Hey, don't be like that," Kisuke chimed in as he set Yoruichi's bag down beside the door. "I helped decorate the place, you know." Yoruichi resisted the urge to say that she could tell. "Well, if neither of you girls need anything else I'll get going. I'll call everyone about dinner tomorrow. Oh, and Yoruichi?"

The young woman looked at him as he smiled at her, stepping onto the other side of the door as he did so.

"...It's great to have you back."

Soi waved goodbye while Yoruichi gave him a small hug, then turned to the window to watch Kisuke's car pull out of the parking lot.

"Well, I don't have much to eat, but help yourself to what's in the fridge," Soi began as she continued to stare out the window. "...Or I guess if you're too tired you could just shower and go to sleep. Now I guess I could let you have the bed today, but we're gonna have to take t--"

She stopped short as dark hands slowly wrapped around her waist, tightening as the body they were connected to wordlessly pulled her back into a warm embrace. It took her a moment to get her body to move again, and when she succeeded all Soi could do was turn her head back to find a pair of topaz orbs glittering down at her, completely unlike those she'd seen just a few hours earlier. It was then that she noticed Yoruichi trembling slightly, her bottom lip quavering as if, like her, she had a million things to say but no words that captured them.

She felt Yoruichi's grip tighten as her head lowered to hers, lips meeting as patiently as either could muster. It had been so long but all of a sudden Soi felt like not a single second had passed between them, like these four years had just been a passing dream. Soi felt her hand slide up to the back of Yoruichi's head of its own accord, gently forcing her beloved's kiss to deepen, which Yoruichi made no objection to; in fact she almost seemed to sigh into Soi's mouth, making the girl shudder. Yoruichi's hand was teasing the belly button just under the hem of Soi's shirt when a sudden beeping sounded from Soi's pocket. Soi blinked, then reluctantly reached for her cell phone.

"H-hold on a sec-- I should see who it i--"

"No."

The Chinese girl froze instantly at Yoruichi's whispered response; it was an order, a request and a plea all at once, and before Soi could think of an excuse Yoruichi nibbled at her ear, leaving a row of warm kisses as she traveled along pale skin to her collarbone. She'd waited an eternity for this, for this sense of wholeness, for Soi again, so much so that her fatigue had left her the second she'd seen her waiting in the terminal, had taken every ounce of self-control she didn't know she had just to avoid ravishing her on the spot. She'd be damned if anyone interrupted them now.

Soi wasn't resisting, but the cell phone was still ringing in her hand, as if she reluctant to let it go. With a single movement Yoruichi grabbed the clamorous device and tossed it onto the floor, never breaking the ravenous kiss she'd initiated with Soi. She deepened it even more when she felt Soi melt into her, the want and longing and love in those silver eyes making it clear that once again, they were on the same page.

* * *

"...You kept it."

"Hmm?" Soi mumbled groggily as she shifted in Yoruichi's embrace, slightly resenting the way the sheets clung to her skin due to her lack of a properly working air conditioner. Today, though, with the body of the only one she could ever truly love beside her again, it didn't seem to matter terribly. Without opening her eyes she could feel fingertips tickling the skin below her throat, playing idly with the ruby and silver necklace that rested there. "...Of course I did. It was from you."

Yoruichi said nothing, but somehow Soi could feel the warmth of her gaze radiate through her-- completely unlike the stifling humidity surrounding them. She smiled herself as that single hand slid up to her face, gently tracing bumps and dips with an almost...adoring caress. Soi let her fingers idle through Yoruichi's short locks, unsure if she could get entirely used to how different it felt, the weight and flow of them altered from her memories. But then, she thought with a smile, at least I'll never get used to her. Not that she could ever see herself tiring of Yoruichi.

"You look different," Yoruichi said almost sadly.

"...So do you." Soi was quiet before she spoke again, this time opening her eyes to find Yoruichi's locked onto her, as if she was the only person in the world that mattered. "Do you think it's...a bad different?"

Yoruichi didn't directly answer; instead she curled around Soi, huddling close like she was trying to fuse with the teen, to maintain this serenity that only existed with her forever. Burying her face into Soi's long, unbound hair, she breathed its comforting scent in gratefully as she whispered so quietly that only Soi could, or would, ever hear her.

"...I missed you."

But even after she'd said it, the words didn't seem like enough. She couldn't say that she'd stopped writing Soi because it made her ache to return to her side, cross the Atlantic and be with Soi for the rest of her life, come what may. But she had wanted, also to be strong, to show Soi that they could be apart long enough to stand it, that they weren't helpless on their own. Right now, all that just seemed like empty words. Soi was hers and she was Soi's, but the thought somehow didn't frighten her like it would have.

No freedom had ever been worth this, and even when Soi pecked her on the forehead and slid out of bed she still felt lighter than she had in her whole life.

"Hey, Dad called," Soi said as she peeked back into the bedroom, her nudity concealed by the door. "He says that he wants us all to come for dinner."

"Mnnph...I don't feel like going out..."

"Oh come on--this is my DAD we're talking about. And I'm sure you could use some pizza."

"All right," Yoruichi relented with a chuckle. "...Just give me a minute to get dressed." Soi nodded as she headed into her room, Yoruichi passing her to get her bag, stealing a kiss as she went, grinning as Soi rewarded her with the slightest of blushes.

* * *

Yoruichi pondered, slipping on a pair of slacks as she glanced at the door, how being with someone could feel so right, so calming, could bring her into the closest thing she'd ever had to a real family. Rifling through the folded clothes she paused as her hand came across a small jewelry box, the square of leather smooth against her hand. Making sure she wasn't being watched, she looked over her shoulder before opening the case, a slender silver band held firmly inside.

She wondered if now was the time to give it to Soi, if she could even ask so soon. But the feeling that had been with her when she'd bought it-- that there wasn't a single person in the world she'd rather give this to-- hadn't faded in the slightest. Yoruichi was still looking at the ring when she heard the door shut behind her.

"Ready to go?"

"Uhh," Yoruichi fumbled as she stuffed the box back into the bottom of her bag, "...Yeah, let's go." She turned to Soi, unable to hide the smile that found its way to her lips at Soi's gentle gaze.

_No,_ Yoruichi decided as she opened the door, beckoning Soi through with an exaggerated display of manners, making the younger woman stifle a laugh. Soi would never begrudge her the time she needed to think this out, to wait, and would probably advise patience until they were both ready and certain.

With Soi, she had all the time in the world-- and that, more than anything else, comforted Yoruichi as she shut the door behind them.

The End

* * *

Acknowledgements and Final Thoughts

Wow... it's really over.

It's hard to believe that it's really been over a year since the first chapter of "The Cat and the Bee" debuted to moderate popularity. Now, however, it's grown to a respectable fanbase, and has become the single most popular piece I've ever written. All I can say, quite frankly, is that I'm deeply flattered and more than a little suprised by how it's been embraced by so many people-- especially since it's one of the (sadly) few multichapter yuri fics of the Bleach fandom, which we all know is mainly dominated by het and yaoi (not a criticism, just a statement of fact).

A few people have told me that I changed Yoruichi and Soi's characters quite a bit in this series, and I'll be the first to acknowledge that it's true. But as one of the major aspects of C&B is growth and change, I think it's a legitimate alteration. Yes, they're not entirely true to Kubo Tite's Yoruichi and Soi Fong, but since these two are in a "real" world, having them remain with static personalities they have in the manga/anime doesn't really work as a character piece.

As I'm just a simple fanfic writer I cannot claim that this is perfect by any means, but I only hope that everyone who's read "C&B" has enjoyed it and been entertained by it, and maybe even gotten something from it. And, of course, that I've done this woefully underappreciated and dismissed pairing a bit of justice.

And now onto special thanks:

Thanks to the LJ YoruSoi community, the members of which have supported this fic from conception to completion,

To Kiyuu, Senesti, leavetheforces, lickingbeads, Adverage, Sutzina Zion, Dark S3cret and everyone who consistently reviewed this story (or even just once-- all greatly appreciated),

To Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Corrine Bailey Rae, Alicia Keys and everyone who wrote the music that helped me get over those pesky bouts of writer's block,

And of course, to Kubo Tite for creating a great pair of female characters to work with.

Peace and Love,  
BebopSamurai


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